The Power of Love
by Esrelda Snape
Summary: Everyone knows Harry Potter the boy who lived, but did you know that he has a twin sister. This is her story, the story of love, family, and learning to trust again after years of abuse and neglect. Can Severus Snape save Harry's twin sister before it's too late? Will he ever come to love Harry as well, full summary inside, rated M for adult content,
1. Chapter One The Twins Who Lived

**A/N I thought that you'd all like to read what I've been working on when I'm not posting more chapters to The Muggle Way, and my horseland fic that I'm still stuck on, so here it is for your reading enjoyment. Advanced warning, this story is rated M. For a reason, if you are not of proper age to enjoy such reading material than lease don't read this fic. **

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The Power of Love

**By: Esrelda Snape**

**Summary:**

Everyone knows the story of Harry Potter the boy-who-lived. This is not that story. This is the story a family torn apart by tragedy, and reunited by the power of love with the help of an unsuspected dark wizard with a pure heart. What will happen when he discovers that the daughter of the only witch that he ever truly loved is being sexually, physically, and mentally abused by the family that Dumbledore swore was her only protection. Can he overlook the past and open his heart to her twin brother as well? You'll have to read to find out for yourselves. This story is rated M for abuse, language, adult themes, and adult content in later chapters.

**Chapter one- the twins who lived**

James and Lilly Potter were the proudest parents of twins that anyone in the little town of Godric's Hollow had ever met. They were born on July 31 1980 in the early hours of the morning. Their son Harry James Potter was born first screaming for all his little lungs was worth. "My son has a healthy set of lungs on him," said James as he rushed up the stairs with his friends Remus, Sirius, and Peter close behind him.

Before they reached the master bedroom however, a frazzled looking medi-witch rushed out of the room with baby Harry in her arms and quickly handed him over to his father. She then rushed back inside slamming the door in the men's faces as Lilly's screams of pain and fright sounded within the room again signaling that Harry's sibling wasn't far behind.

The four men listened intently as another scream shattered the silence of the room and then got worried as it had gotten too quiet. Lilly's screams had ceased, and minutes later the medi-witches exited the room shaking their heads with puzzled expressions on their faces. James handed Harry to Sirius and reached out to stop the head medi-witch from leaving.

"My wife, my other child, what happened," he asked with fear written all over his face?

"Your wife is fine, Mr. Potter," she said as she pulled away from him.

"What of my other child," he asked impatiently?

"Your daughter is fine as well; it's just that in all of my years of delivering babies, I've never seen a newborn that refused to cry. The child was so quiet that we thought that she was dead for the first five minutes of her life. She was just in our hands cooing and wriggling around," explained the stunned medi-witch as she turned and left the Potter home.

James opened the bedroom door to find Lilly holding their daughter with a gentle smile on her face. As the door opened she looked up to see her husband and their friends walking in with baby Harry in their arms. "Motherhood fits you Lilly," said Sirius as he handed baby Harry over to his mother so that the infants could meet each other.

"Sirius is right about that Lilly. What are the two of you going to call the twins," asked Remus with a happy smile on his face as he knelt down and ran a gentle hand over the baby girl's little cheek lovingly?

"Our son's name will be Harry James Potter. We did have a name picked out for our daughter as well but all things considered, I believe that we should change that name. Don't you agree darling," asked James as he took his daughter into his arms?

"I agree darling, she's so quiet, and serene. I'd like to keep the middle name that we agreed upon, but the first name I think that we should change from Helena, to Serenity," said Lilly as she gazed down into little Harry's sleepy little eyes.

"Very well, than we will call her Serenity Rose Potter," said James as he cuddled his little girl in his arms.

"Sirius, are you willing to be their god-father," asked Lilly looking up into his blue eyes?

"Do you truly wish for me to be their godfather," he asked in shock?

"We won't accept no for an answer," said James and Lilly in unison with beaming smiles on their faces.

Time passed and the Potters reveled in the peaceful life with their children. Little did they know that their happy little world was soon to come crashing down with disastrous consequences. Dumbledore had arrived at their home late one evening after Lilly had just put the twins down for sleep. He brought with him, disturbing and horrifying news.

Soon after months of being in hiding in a little cottage in their home town, they found themselves betrayed by one that they had trusted. James and lily were sitting in their living room feeding the twins their evening bottles when the door was burst from its hinges, and the Dark Lord stepped in with a malicious smile upon his face.

"Greetings Mr. and Mrs. Potter, did you truly believe that I wouldn't find you? I offer you this single choice if you desire to see your children grow up to be something more than a memory." James quickly handed little Harry over to his mother whom was already holding Serenity, and stood between his family and the Dark Wizard.

"We'll never join you," growled James with narrowed blue eyes. "Lilly run," he screamed as he shot a well-aimed hex at their attacker. Lilly ran into the kitchen for the back door only to discover that it was blocked by four death eaters, and tore through the house running up to the children's nursery to place them down into their crib together so that she could hopefully defend them.

The babies both picked up on the fear of their mother and started to cry fearfully. "Shhhh, darlings, Harry, Serenity, Mama's here, it will be alright," she seemed to sing in a soft soothing voice. "No matter what happens never forget, my darlings that you are loved. Your Mama and Daddy both love you so much," she said in a soothing voice as she attempted to block the door.

Suddenly there was a flash of green light as The Dark Lord demolished the door and strode into the room with an evil grin on his face. "Your husband is dead, Madam Potter. I see no reason for you or your darling children to die as well. So, I have decided to give you one final chance, my dear. Join my ranks, come over to our side, and you have my word that your children will never want for anything. Take my mark and become my wife and together we shall raise the children to become the most powerful in the world," he said with narrowed eyes as he presented his hand to the witch.

"I'd rather die than belong to you, I'll never allow you to harm my children," she snarled as she turned away from him and shielded the twins from the killing curse, dropping dead. Voldemort then picked up her wand and pointed it and his own at the twins who were looking up at him with wide innocent eyes. He looked down at the children with cold uncaring eyes.

"I was an orphan once, as the two of you are now," he said in a silky soft tone to the two one year olds. "It's not something that I would wish upon any child, so you can understand why I must do what I must do. It's regrettable that your parents refused to join me. Because of that unforgivable offence, I have no choice but to allow the two of you to join them," he said as he pointed the two wands at the children with an evil smile upon his face. "Avada Kadavera," he cried out as green light flooded the room then suddenly rebounded making him simply vanish.

"NOOOOO, what the hell is this? How could it be that I could be defeated by two helpless infants sitting in their crib," screamed Voldemort as his disembodied spirit swirled around the room angrily making the windows shatter and the pictures fall from the shaking walls of the house? "I don't know how, but I'll be back one day and I'll see both of you dead," he screamed as an unseen force pulled him out of the shattered window into the atmosphere!

Outside as the Aurors chased down the remaining death eaters that fled in all directions on feeling the loss of their leader, Severus cautiously entered the Potter home and looked around with fear pounding in his heart. As he entered the first thing that he noticed was the lifeless body of his school day rival, James Potter sprawled on the floor with his glasses hanging from his face. He searched the entire house hoping against hope that Lilly and her children still lived.

He walked cautiously through the house looking through each room until he came to the shattered remains of the nursery door. His face paled in horror and sadness as he saw the lifeless body of the only person who ever considered him to be a friend lying on the floor beside the crib that held her twin children. He slid down the side of the wall and pulled her into his arms sobbing as his heart shattered into a million pieces.

He sat there for what seemed like a long time clutching her lifeless body to his chest. He was in a world made up entirely of his grief, until he noticed little Harry starting to cry. He tenderly laid the children's mother on the floor at his feet, and went over to the crib to check over the children. Harry was crying and to his astonishment, so was his sister though; no sound came from her vocal chords.

He picked up the twins and cuddled them close to him as he ran from the house. He took the twins to the only place that he knew that they'd be safe, and placed them in Poppy Pomfrey's care, while he rushed into the headmaster's office to have it out with the old man. Dumbledore looked up in shock as Severus burst through his office doors making them slam hard against the stone walls.

"Severus, my boy, what's gotten into you he asked with a stern expression on his worried face?

"Damn it, you promised that you'd keep her safe! They're dead, both of them," screamed Severus angrily as he paced the office floor like a caged animal. On hearing his words Dumbledore's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and regret.

"What of the children, Severus? You didn't mention the children," he said as he leaned heavily against his pensive and removed a silvery strand of memory.

"They're surprisingly alive. Little Harry has a scar on his forehead and Serenity has the same shaped scar on her neck just over the vocal chords. Madam Pomfrey is checking them over as we speak. Now what happened to this protection that they were supposed to have," snarled Severus with his emotion on his sleeve?

"They put their trust in the wrong person as their secret keeper. Sirius Black has just been arrested for leading Voldemort to their door, and killing Peter Pettigrew," said Dumbledore shaking his head sadly.

"Why do you even care? You hated James Potter," said Dumbledore in a cold tone that made Severus flinch. Severus didn't say anything. He bowed his head in thought on how to answer the older man's accusations then removed his wand from his sleeve and gave it a graceful flick making a silvery doe shaped patronus gallop and bound around the room before it disappeared through the window.

Dumbledore's face softened as realization hit him hard like a bludger to the head. "Lilly, after all these years," said Dumbledore in a shocked tone.

"Always," said Severus simply not wishing to go into further detail. "Headmaster, what will happen to her children," he asked wishing to see them placed into a loving home?

"They'll be placed in the care of her sister Petunia Dersley," started Dumbledore before Severus grasped his robes desperately attempting to make the older wizard change his mind on the placement.

"No, anyone but her muggle bitch of a sister. Please Headmaster, you can't place the children with her. She hates everything about magic. I'm quite certain that she'd be cruel to the children. They don't deserve that. Couldn't you place them with a wizarding family," begged Severus?

"Severus, please understand that it's for their own protection. When Lilly gave her life to protect the twins, she unknowingly invoked a very powerful, ancient magic. Her sister being the last living blood relative is the only one who can protect them. Now unless you have other matters to discuss with me at this time the subject is no longer open for debate," said Dumbledore

"But, Headmaster, the Dark Lord is gone. They don't need protecting anymore," protested Severus as he crossed his arms in front of his chest to keep himself in check.

"You know as well as I do, that this isn't the last that we've heard of the Dark Lord. When he does return, they will need to be protected at all costs. "

"So, your decision is final," snapped Severus angrily?

"Yes," said Dumbledore as he placed a tender hand onto the younger wizard's shoulder.

Severus shook the older wizard's hand from his shoulder and turned to leave. "Severus, I forbid you to interfere in this matter. In case you are found out, you will not go anywhere near those children, unless you wish to see your dark comrades search them out and finish the job that their master started," ordered Dumbledore as Severus ripped open the door.

"Fine," spat Severus as he slammed the door and stomped down to the hospital wing.

He peaked into the hospital wing and watched as Madam Pomfrey bustled around the room preparing two bottles of warm milk for the two siblings. Harry's attention was on the medi-witch, but Serenity had her wide green eyes on the dark man standing in the door. She smiled at him and looked as if she would have laughed, though it was hard to tell, since she sadly made no sounds. "I don't care what he says, little one, I will always watch out for you," he vowed as the flames in the hospital wing hearth went green and the Headmaster stepped through to check up on the potter twins for himself. He backed away from the door, then spun on his heal and silently walked down to his living quarters.

The evening of the next day, as everyone in the small clean neighborhood slept peacefully, a strangely dressed man suddenly appeared in the center of the street. He took a small strange device out of his pocket and clicked it several times making the light vanish from the several lit street lights that illuminated the street in front of number four Privet Drive.

He stopped as a grey tabby cat leapt down from a garden fence landing in front of him. "I should have known that you'd be here Professor McGonagall," he said with a knowing smile on his face and a twinkle in his blue eyes. The cat morphed into a stern faced witch wearing dark emerald green robes and a pointed hat with a single feather on it.

"Good evening Professor Dumbledore, are the rumor's true," she asked calmly?

"Yes, Minerva, the good and the bad," he answered shortly.

"What of the children," she asked curiously?

"Haggrid is bringing them."

"But, Professor, do you really think it wise to trust Haggrid with something as important as this?"

"Relax Minerva, I'd trust Haggrid with my life," answered Dumbledore as the sound of a motorcycle's engine came rumbling down from the sky.

They turned and watched as the bright headlight of the flying bike came closer and softly landed in front of them. A giant of a man, who was three times the size of normal men dismounted from the bike and leaned over into his sidecar to retrieve a large sized basket with two tiny sleeping bundles nestled within it. "You had no trouble, I trust Haggrid," asked Albus as the Giant turned with the basket in his large arms?

"No sir, the little tykes both fell asleep just as we were flying over Bristle. Although, I've got to say since poor little Serenity can't make any sounds, it was hard not to keep on checking up on the little darlin. Best try not to wake them," said Haggrid as he handed over the basket to the Headmaster.

"Albus do you really think this wise? I've watched these people all day. They're the worst sort of muggle's imaginable. They really are," started Minerva before being cut off.

"They are the only family that they have," said Albus as he walked carefully down the walk way to number four Privet Drive.

"These two will be famous, Albus. There won't be a child in our world who doesn't know their names," said Minerva in a mystified tone.

"Exactly, their far better off growing up away from all of that until they are ready," he said as he gently laid the basket down just outside of the door. Haggrid sniffed with sadness and dabbed at a large tear that was running down his hairy cheek. "There, there Haggrid, it's not good-bye after all," soothed Dumbledore as he placed an envelope addressed to, "Mr. and Mrs. Dersley," just on top of the two sleeping bundles. "Good luck, Harry and Serenity Potter," he said as he and the others turned away leaving them out on the front porch.

**A/N so here it is, please be honest when you review as I will not post the next chapter that is already written until I am certain that you want it to go on. :) If the story does continue the next chapter will be called The Vanishing Girl. :)**


	2. Chapter Two The Vanishing Girl

**A/N I wasn't going to post this until next week but considering that I have so much of the story already written, I thought what the Heck, share on. You are warned that this next chapter is part of the reason for the M rating, if you are not of proper age to read such things than read no further. For those of you who are of proper age, enjoy. I may post the other chapters sooner rather than later if you'd like. :) Also please note that anything that you see in ****_Italic _****is Serenity speaking mentally to those who she trusts.**

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**Chapter two – The Vanishing Girl**

Time passed with a dreary repetition for Harry and Serenity. In the early days since the morning that their Aunt Petunia had awakened the two youngsters with her shrill screeches, things were not as happy for the pair as it should have been for two siblings growing up in a home full of love. This was all due to the fact that Petunia hated her sister and her freakish ways that said she hated that she was forced to take in the twins against her husband's wishes.

She compensated for this inconvenience by simply locking the twins in the small closet under the stairs, and only feeding them each a bottle of watered down milk once a day. She also never bothered to bath the two unwanted children until the stench coming from their closet was too much for anyone in the house to bear. The result of this neglect was that one of the brats would scream and cry at all hours of the day and night, until one day when Vernon had decided that he had had enough of the noise and did something drastic.

On that horrid day, he had come home complaining of a headache and just snapped. His own spoiled son watched on from his place in his crib from the living room as he ripped the door open and started screaming at both children and hitting them both mercilessly until at least Harry was too hoarse to cry anymore. He found that after a while, he actually enjoyed beating the girl because no matter how hard he beat her, she never made a peep. Yes the tears would come, but never a sound.

After a while of this Harry would learn not to make a sound that would anger his rather large abusive uncle, because he learned that the man would only take it out on his sister since she wasn't able to make any noise. He found it disturbing when he'd watch her scream in pain and fear, because for some strange reason he was the only one in the house who could actually hear his sister's anguished cries.

As if that wasn't shock enough, he was further surprised to discover that his sister Serenity was able to not only speak in a whisper so soft that it was only audible if she was literally at his ear, but that he could hear her voice clear as if she had spoken out loud inside of his head. Knowing how much their aunt and uncle hated magic and that this wasn't something that normal children could do, Serenity begged her brother not to tell them about it.

"_Please Harry, you can't tell them about this. They'd torture me worse than they do already,"_ she cried inside of his mind, one day after a particularly nasty beating.

"I promise, Serenity. I won't tell them no matter what they do to me," he said in a soothing voice as he helped her clean the many bleeding wounds on her back as they prepared to go to bed.

_"__Harry, I honestly don't know how much longer, I can stand this. They're going to kill me one of these days," _came her voice as she flinched when he smeared more of the ointment on her back.

"I know, but where can we go? You know that they're our only family Serenity. Try not to think about it and let's get some sleep," he said as he tore strips from an old sheet and tenderly bandaged her back and torso before helping her into the large raggedy t-shirt that was given to her for a night gown.

Serenity was about to pull the moth eaten blanket that she slept on out from under the small bed, when Harry placed a tender hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "No Serenity, you're hurting too badly. I'll sleep on the floor tonight," said Harry as he pulled back his thread bare sheet for her to get into the bed.

"_Thanks Harry, I love you,"_ she said in his mind.

"Hay, what are big brother's for," he smiled as he pulled her blanket out and stretched out on the floor beside the bed.

Later that night Harry awoke hearing his sister sniffling softly in the darkness of the closet. He turned on the light only to find that she was once again crying and screaming in her sleep. He couldn't hear her inside of his mind, which meant that she was yet again hiding her pain from him, or trying too anyway. He tried to wake her, but when she didn't respond to his touch he pulled her up into his arms and settled himself in the corner with her in his arms. On feeling her brother's arms around her she instantly calmed and her sleep was more restful.

As they heard the sounds of their Aunt and Uncle lumbering around up stairs they awoke and quickly dressed in their oversized hand-me-down clothes for the day's work and torture. Just as Serenity finished pulling back her long gently curling red hair with an old shoestring, their Aunt Petunia banged on the door in her normally curt fashion. "Up, now," she snapped before unlatching the door from the outside so that her niece and nephew could get out of the closet for the day.

When the two siblings entered the kitchen Vernon lowered his morning paper and sneered at the twins nastily. "Don't just stand there boy get my coffee. You, girl don't just stand there, get your little bony ass, over there and finish cooking our breakfast so your aunt can enjoy her morning, unless you'd like another beating," he barked making Serenity flinch visibly.

"You'd better not burn it," snapped Petunia as she tossed the spatula at Serenity, who nearly dropped it.

"Today, the neighborhood commity will be stopping by to compliment us on our lovely home. That said I expect you Harry to get out to the front and back garden's and make sure that there's not a single weed or a leaf out of place. As for you Serenity, after you've finished cooking our breakfast, I expect for you to wash the dishes, then get straight to work making this house sparkle with cleanliness," ordered Petunia as Dudley came lumbering into the kitchen and sat his large fat bottom in a chair and waited as his cousin Serenity brought a large platter of breakfast foods to the table.

After washing up the breakfast dishes, Serenity got to work vacuuming, dusting, washing windows inside and out, and scrubbing all of the hard tile and wood floors on her hands and knees until her knees were sore and red and her fingers raw from the use of the harsh cleaners on her bare hands. She had just finished the daunting and frightening task of cleaning Dudley's two bedrooms when Dudley and his friends entered the room with devilish smiles on their faces.

"Hello, cousin, you remember my friends, don't you," asked Dudley as he closed and locked the door baring her escape from the room? Serenity backed into a corner with wide fearful eyes as the tears began to flow down her dust smudged cheeks and the five boys closed in around her. "Don't be scared, cousin, we won't hurt you, we only want to play a little game with you," said Dudley as two of his friends grabbed Serenity from behind and wrestled her to the floor.

"You'd better play nicely today or I'll let dad, punish you," said Dudley as his other two friends grabbed her kicking legs and pinned them to the floor as she screamed out noiselessly. For the next four hours the five boys took turns raping her brutally over and over again grunting with pleasure. They only stopped when Vernon knocked at the door and informed them that it was time for the boys to go home for the evening and that their parents were waiting downstairs.

They all got dressed leaving Serenity laying naked on the floor with her eyes clenched and the tears flowing. Dudley opened the door for his father who stepped in and smiled at the handy work of his son and his little buddies. "Nice, boys, but you still need to learn the fine art of sexual variety. Next time try another position," he said as he removed his belt and dropped his trousers as the four boys left the room. Dudley closed the door once again and happily watched as his father roughly flipped Serenity onto her stomach and pulled her hips up so that he could take her from behind.

This continued until dinner time when the two Dersley men finally left her laying shaking in the corner of Dudley's room. "If you're still in here when Dudley comes up for bed, you stay in here," growled Vernon as he replaced his belt and zipped his trousers before leaving the room. As she slowly limped out of Dudley's room into the hallway, she could hear Vernon once again screaming at her brother for something completely stupid.

She couldn't bear to stay anywhere near anyone of the opposite sex after being violated for half of the day. At that point she didn't even want to be near her brother. She knew that he'd be angry about what they had done to her once again, for the thousandth time since she had turned eight years old, but didn't want him to see her in such a sorry state. She quietly snuck out of the front door of the house into the darkness and crawled under a rose bush to hide between it and the house so that she'd not be found.

She awoke later that night as the thunder crashed and the rainstorm pounded down on her, making the ground that she was laying on slippery with mud, then crawled out from her hiding place hoping that she could get into the garage, or maybe the garden shed, since she knew that the house was locked up tighter than a drum, and getting anyone to open the door was hopeless. She splashed around to the side of the house, debating of where to go to find relief from the rain that now had her shaking with a cold chill.

The thunder crashed again illuminating the darkened street briefly bringing a tall dark shadowy figure into the light. Serenity strained her eyes trying to peer into the darkness to find the shadowy figure that she thought she had saw, when suddenly she turned to run and slammed into something very solid. She fell off of the curb into the rain filled gutter, and cast terror filled eyes up to the dark shadowy figure dressed in a black hooded cloak that repelled the rain.

A pale white hand removed a long thin stick of wood and then everything went black as she lost consciousness. She came to later feeling warm and more comfortable than she had ever felt in her life, and sat up with a start, as a familiar cat leapt up onto her lap purring loudly. She looked around to find that she was laying on Mrs. Figg's sofa in front of a roaring fire and that she was wearing a warm flannel nightgown and covered with a thick quilt.

She looked around for Mrs. Figg, wondering where the kind old woman had gotten to. The last thing that she and Harry had overheard from the Dersley's conversation was that she would be gone for the next two weeks to visit a sick relative. So she was now very puzzled and confused as to how she had gotten into Mrs. Figg's house and dressed in such a manner.

"Do, your parents not care that you were locked outside on such a night, or perhaps they have no idea that you are missing," came a silky voice of a man as he entered the sitting room with two hot cups of tea in his hands? Serenity gave the pale skinned man a fearful look and quickly attempted to get as far from him as she could. "Calm down my little princess, you have my word that I won't harm you," he said as he placed the cup of tea in front of her and took a seat on the arm chair across from her, taking a sip from his own cup.

"It's okay; I promise that it hasn't been poisoned. Drink the tea it will make you feel better," said the man in a calming voice. He watched as she gingerly took the hot cup of tea and began to sip at it slowly, letting the warm liquid warm her even more thoroughly. "Why were you outside hiding under that bush," he asked making her look up into his black eyes?

"Can you not speak," he then asked after no reply came from the girl? Serenity didn't understand why, but she felt safe with this strange man. She shook her head in the negative and raised her chin and pointed at the lightning shaped scar on her throat. "I see, do you not have any means of communicating," the man then asked curious as to how she conversed with others if she did at all?

Serenity nodded and used the sign language that she had been taught in school in an attempt to answer the man's question. She mined writing on paper, and was pleased when the man removed a piece of thick parchment from his pocket with a strange black feather and what looked like a pot of black ink. "I trust that you can figure out how to use these," he said as he placed them down on the coffee table in front of her.

Serenity nodded and eagerly dipped the tip of the black feather quill into the ink and began to scribble out something on the offered paper. She then handed it back across the table to him and watched as he read it expectantly. "Let's just put it this way Princess, I'm a friend," he said as he gave the parchment back to her. "Now do you wish to tell me why you were outside hiding under the bush,' he asked?

Serenity shook her head and lowered her face to her lap as she clenched the fabric of the warm gown in her fists as the tears started to flow again. She didn't even notice that the man had moved until she felt a pair of warm strong arms pull her into a soothing embrace. She leaned into his embrace feeling as warm and as cared for as she did when she would awake in the night to find her brother holding her close.

The man began to gently rock with her in his arms and soothingly stroked her hair. "It's alright; you need not discuss your reasons at this time, Princess. I won't force you to confide such a thing if it bothers you," he soothed. "If you ever find yourself in need of protection, I will be here until Madam Figg returns from her family's abode. I am quite sure that she wouldn't mind if you come to her when you are in need of protection as well. Now, you should get some sleep Princess," he said as he arose from the sofa and tenderly laid her back upon it bringing the thick blanket to her chin.

Her rescuer awoke the next morning to find that the girl whom reminded him so very much of her mother, had left the house, leaving the nightgown and blanket folded neatly on the sofa, and a hot plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast with jam sitting on the table beside where he had fallen asleep in the armchair. There was a note folded and leaning against a steaming hot cup of coffee. He picked it up and read her note.

"_Dear Sir,_

_Thank you for your kindness sir, but I can't stay. My family will be looking for me. Please enjoy this simple token of my thanks. _

_Serenity Rose Potter."_

He got up from his seat and took a sip of the hot coffee as he gently moved the curtains, of the sitting room window that looked out onto the front lawn of number four Privet Drive. He saw the girl and her brother being pushed roughly into the car by fat, ugly, Mr. Vernon Dersley and wondered if the fat oaf of a man had ever been stupid enough to harm the girl or if her state of distress was from another source.

As the car pulled out with the entire family in it, his mind flicked back to the black and purple bruising and the many scars that he saw upon the girl's flesh as he attended to her wellbeing the night before. "Lilly, I'm sorry, I've failed you," he thought as he plopped into the chair and slowly began to eat the meal that the obviously talented young girl had prepared for him.

Hours later he watched as the family car belonging to the Dersley's drove back into the drive of number four Privet Drive. Petunia quickly got out of the car and shuttled a wet and trembling fat boy who was wrapped in a blanket into the house. Vernon, after unlocking the front door and letting his wife passed, grabbed Serenity and Harry each by one ear and dragged them into the house slamming the door and blocking off the view of anyone who might be watching.

He slammed the two up against the wall while he wrenched open the door of the cupboard under the stairs. "I know that she can speak, I've seen her whispering into your ear boy. That said I expect answers from both of you. Where were you last night girl, and why didn't you come in until I had gotten the morning paper," he snarled with his beady eyes leveled on Serenity? Serenity leaned over and whispered into Harry's ear so that he could answer their uncle's question for her.

"Well what did she say," he spat making Serenity cringe?

"She said that she got locked out of the house and slept under the rose bushes beside the garage," answered Harry giving his sister a worried look.

"You didn't look too dirty after spending a night outside," he said getting even redder in the face with anger. Serenity mimicked bathing with the water hose and pointed to her dirty clothes on the floor of the cupboard. "Fine, at least you had the good sense to clean yourself up before you came back inside of my home."

"Now, what happened at the zoo, I want to know how Dudley ended up in that cage," he snarled angrily at the two cowering children?

"I swear, we don't know. One minute the glass was there and the next it was just gone. It was like magic," said Harry as he moved between his uncle and his sister wishing to protect her from getting hit.

"For the last time, there's no such thing as magic," snarled Vernon angrily as he pushed the twins back into the cupboard making them fall backward onto the floor before slamming the door leaving them in darkness.

Once they were alone, Harry questioned his sister about where she had truthfully been the night before. He informed her that he had looked for her until their Aunt and Uncle had locked him into the cupboard for the night and that he had been extremely worried about her when he heard the thunder outside of the house. Serenity wanted to tell him about the strange man who had rescued her from the cold pounding rain, but every time that she tried it just wouldn't come out. She even tried to write it out on a small white erase board with a marker, but all she was able to write was that she was safe. Harry hugged her and begged her never to run off like that again. She promised him that she wouldn't and that was a promise that she intended to keep even if it killed her to do so.

**A/N Child abuse is a crime that happens every hour of every day to a child somewhere in the world. Speak out against this crime. If you are being abused or if you know of someone who is being abused, please, please call the appropriate authorities before it's too late to act. You never know you might save a life. **

**Please leave a review if you'd like to comment. If I get enough feedback I will post the next chapter faster. Chapter Three – When Wishes Come True will be up next. :)**


	3. Chapter Three When Wishes Come True

**A/N I couldn't help myself here's the next chapter for your reading enjoyment. I just couldn't help posting it the more that I write on this the more that I want you to read up to where I've stopped. So I've decided to go ahead and post all of the chapters that I've written of this story so far. I've been working on this for about a month and I like where it's going. **

**Chapter Three – When Wishes Come True**

The escape of the Boa Constrictor at the zoo in combination with Serenity's disappearance had earned them both the longest stay locked up in their cupboard under the stairs. By the time that they were let out, the summer Holidays had begun, and the twins spent most of that time avoiding Dudley and his gang, or preforming chores under Petunia's watchful gaze.

On those rare days when Petunia would get off of her lazy backside and preform the house chores for herself, Harry and Serenity would spend those days attempting to dodge Dudley and his gang. Their only ray of hope was in the knowledge that the next school term Dudley wouldn't be attending the same school as they would, due to the fact that he would be attending Vernon's old school Smeltings Academy.

"You know they like to stuff people's heads down the toilet on their first day at Stonewall. Do you two want to practice," asked Dudley as he eyed Harry and Serenity eagerly?

"No thank you, I'm quite sure that the poor toilet has never had anything as disgusting as your head stuffed down it before. It might get sick," quipped Harry as he grabbed his sister's hand and the two of them hurried from the house before Dudley could figure out what he had said.

Towards the end of July Serenity and Harry were left at Mrs. Figg's while Petunia took Dudley into London to buy his new school uniform for his first year at Smeltings. To their surprise Mrs. Fig wasn't as bad as she normally was toward the twins. As it turned out that she had broken her leg tripping over one of her cats and wasn't as fond of them as before. She allowed them to watch the television and even gave them each a piece of cake that tasted as if it were at least a year old.

As Harry sat on the sofa enjoying the television show, Serenity curled up in the other corner of the sofa idly stroking one of Mrs. Figg's cats and staring at the chair that the dark man had sat in that was now occupied by Mrs. Figg as she knitted. "Are you alright dear," questioned the old woman as she noticed the strange expression on the girl's face? Serenity nodded and attended to the cat on her lap with a new vigor.

The next day there was a horrid stench coming from the kitchen and Harry and Serenity wrinkled their noses as the smell hit them. "Aunt Petunia, what is that," asked Harry pointing to the bits of rag that she was mixing with a large wooden spoon in a large pot in the kitchen sink? Petunia's lips tightened the way that they always did when he asked her a question before she answered him.

"These are the new school uniforms for you and your sister," she said as she pulled out a piece of the uniform and scrutinized the color.

"I didn't realize that they had to be so wet," said Harry cheekily.

"Don't be ridiculous boy, I'm dying them so that they'll be gray like everyone else's," she said as she checked the color of one of the girl's uniforms.

Harry sat down at the table with his sister and seconds later Vernon and Dudley came in wrinkling their noses at the smell of the dye as well. Vernon took up reading his newspaper while Dudley sat down and started hitting everything within his reach with his smelting stick. They heard the sound of the letter box click and Vernon didn't even lower his paper.

"Get the mail Dudley," he said from behind the paper.

"I'm eating, make Harry or Serenity get it," he moaned through a mouth full of food.

"Harry, Serenity one of you go and get the mail," ordered Vernon.

"I don't want to, make Dudley get it," argued Harry.

"Dudley hit them with your stick," said Vernon.

Dudley narrowed his eyes and swung the stick at Serenity who ducked and ran from the room while Harry bobbed and weaved to join her out in the hallway. Serenity bent to pick up the mail and looked through the small pile of mail nonchalantly. As Harry entered the Hall he could hear her voice in his mind. "_Bill, bill, postcard from Uncle Vernon's annoying sister, bill, what the,"_ came her voice as she gasped at the address on the last two letters.

"Serenity, what is it," he asked as he took the three bills and the postcard from her?

"_Harry, you're not going to believe this but we've gotten mail,"_ came her voice in his head as she handed over the letter addressed to him.

"What, who would be sending us letter's? We don't have any other family," said Harry as he followed his sister into the kitchen and distractedly handed his uncle Vernon the mail. They both started to sit back in their seats at the table when suddenly; Dudley noticed that they had letters and snatched them, making both of them angry.

"Mum, Dad, look, Harry and Serenity have gotten letters," he screamed as he ran around the table and handed the letters over to Vernon.

"Hay, give those back they're ours," protested Harry angrily as he stopped mere feet from his Uncle Vernon's seat.

"Who'd be writing to you," sneered Uncle Vernon as he shook open one of the identical letter's and began to read over it. Harry and Serenity watched as his face went from beet red, to a sickening shade of green. He looked up at his wife whom had a shocked expression on her horsey looking face.

As the month passed on the Letters continued to come, and were destroyed by Vernon. Their house was swarmed with hundreds of hooting owls which had delivered the letters, and were waiting to carry back a reply. This carried on until the start of the week before Harry and Serenity's birthday.

"Ah, Sunday, the best day of the week in my opinion," sighed Uncle Vernon one morning as he took a relaxed sip of tea from his favorite cup. "There's no post on Sunday's," he announced giving Harry and Serenity a positively gleeful look. The next thing they knew, the fireplace in the kitchen started to rumble and the windows in the house began to shake. Two letters came flying out of the empty fireplace and slapped Vernon in the face.

"What," he spat and sputtered angrily? Before anyone could move a torrent of letters came flooding out of the fireplace and flew around the room like hundreds of paper birds. Vernon, Dudley, and Petunia screamed in shock as Harry and Serenity both jumped and grasped one of the letters each. On seeing this, Vernon growled and chased the twins down. He caught Serenity first and slammed her down on the ground placing one of his large fat feet in the middle of her back as he ripped up the letter that she was holding with his teeth.

As Harry saw how their uncle had Serenity pinned to the ground, and heard her screams of pain in his head he suddenly snapped and leapt onto Vernon's back catching him off Gard. When Serenity felt the pressure of Vernon's foot move from her sore back she tried to get up and run only to be grabbed by the hair.

"That's it, I've had it. Pack your bags, we're leaving. If they can't find us then they'll stop sending those blasted letters," he screamed as he roughly threw Harry and Serenity into their cupboard until everyone else was ready to leave. As they were dragged from one new place to another being followed by the letters, Serenity couldn't help wishing that she had stayed with the stranger whom had offered her protection.

Late on a very stormy night while she and Harry lay on the dusty floor of the little shack on the isle that Vernon had dragged them to, her thoughts again turned to the strange man, and she wondered what life would have been like if she lived with the comforting dark man. Harry looked up from drawing a birthday cake in the dust and noticed his sister's distracted expression.

"Pst, Serenity are you alright," he whispered not wishing to wake Dudley whom was sleeping on the sofa?

"_Harry, I'm fine, I was just thinking about the night that I got locked out in the rain," _came her voice in his head.

"What about it, sis? You never told me the truth about what happened that night," he said as he scooted closer to her.

_"Harry, I don't know who he was but, there was a man staying in Mrs. Figg's house while she was gone. He found me in the rain, and took me in and protected me. I was just thinking of what it would be like if we lived with such a caring person, instead of our Aunt, Uncle and the pig that they call our cousin," _she said as she looked down at Harry's cake.

"I know how you feel about that Serenity. Hay, look it will be our birthday in ten seconds, "said Harry as he pointed to Dudley's watch. "Five, four, three, two, one happy birthday Serenity," smiled Harry as he and his sister stretched out on the floor together and blew on the dust cake making their birthday wish.

After blowing away the dust cake they both jumped as a loud crash sounded outside the door of the old shack, and quickly got to their feet. It wasn't just something banging on the side of the house; it was someone outside trying to get in. Harry grabbed his sister and quickly pulled her back into the shadows placing himself between her and the potential danger. Boom, boom, boom, came the insistent knock at the door that shook the door on its rickety hinges.

Vernon and Petunia ran down the dusty stairs with a rifle in his hands. "Who's there? I warn you I'm armed," he said pointing the gun at the door. There was a pause in the knocking, and then something smashed into the door making it fly off of its hinges to crash loudly on the floor. A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long shaggy mass of hair and a massive tangled beard; you could barely make out his black eyes glinting in the dim light of the shack.

He entered the house stooping slightly so that his head barely missed hitting the rafters of the top floor, and picked up the door easily placing it back into the hole. The noise of the storm outside went down a little. He turned and looked at them all. Vernon took that time to open his big fat mouth. "I demand that you leave at once sir, you're breaking and entering. Get out of my house," he said shakily pointing the end of the rifle at the giant.

Before he could pull the trigger, the giant stepped over to him and bent the end of the rifle up toward the ceiling. "Dry up Dersley, you great prune," he said as the gun went off making a hole in the upper floor. He then looked at Dudley who was sitting in a window seat with a frightened expression on his face and smiled.

"Blimy, Harry, I haven't seen you and your sister since the two of you were babies. You're a lot more along than I would have expected, especially around the middle," he said as he patted his large stomach. "Where's your sister," he then asked as he stepped toward the sofa and looked around for the girl?

"I-I'm not Harry," stammered Dudley as he inched around the wall toward his parents.

"I'm Harry, and my sister is here with me," said Harry as he cautiously stepped out of the shadows with his sister hiding just behind him.

"Of course you are. Here I've got something for you two. I might have sat on it at some point along the way, but I imagine that it will taste good all the same," said the giant as he pulled a rumpled box out of his large coat and handed it over to Harry and his sister.

Harry and Serenity took the offered box and opened it together to find a pink frosted birthday cake with Happy Birthday Harry and Serenity written across it in green frosting. "I hope that you two like it. I've baked it myself words and all," said the giant man proudly. Serenity bent over and whispered into her brother's ear making him put the cake down on a table beside the sofa and look up at the large man questioningly.

"Thank you sir," said Harry politely as the large man sat on the sofa making it grown under his weight.

"It's not every day that your young man and young lady turn eleven, now is it," asked the giant as he pulled a pink umbrella out from his coat and pointed at the empty fire place making flames burst into life.

"Excuse me sir, but who are you," asked Harry cautiously?

"My name's Rubius Haggrid, I'm the keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. Of course you'll know all about Hogwarts by now," asked Haggrid with a happy smile as he placed a few fat sausages onto the fire to cook?

"Sorry, no," said Harry in a sad tone with Serenity shaking her head sadly behind him.

"No, blimy Harry, Serenity didn't the two of you ever wander where your mum and dad learned it all," asked Haggrid in shock?

"Learned what exactly," asked Harry on his sister's urging in his head?

"You're a wizard and you sister there is a witch Harry."

"We're what," asked Harry in shock?

"A witch and a wizard, and thumping good one's once you're trained up a bit," said Haggrid as he checked the cooking sausages on the fire.

"No you've made a mistake we can't be a witch and a wizard. We're just Harry and Serenity," argued Harry in shock.

"Well just Harry and Serenity, tell me did you ever make anything happen that you couldn't explain when you were angry or scared? Perhaps you've even done something just between the two of you that seems strange," suggested Haggrid as he handed them both a hot sizzling sausage on a fork to eat. Harry and Serenity looked at each other with stunned expressions on their faces and Haggrid nodded as he got to his feet and handed each of them a letter.

As Harry read his letter out loud, he could hear his sister's voice echoing the same letter in his head with her name in the place where his was in his letter. "_Dear Miss Potter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to attend school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," _said her voice in his head in unison with his own voice before they were interrupted by Vernon.

"They'll not be going, I tell you. We swore when we took them in that we'd stomp any of that rubbish out of them," he said as he stepped up to where Harry and Serenity stood quickly making Serenity start shaking with fear and step behind Haggrid.

"Wait a minute, you knew all along, and you didn't tell us," argued Harry angrily?

"Of course we knew, how could you not be, with my perfect sister being who she was. My mother and father were so proud the day that she got her letter. Isn't it great, we have a witch in the family," she shrieked with a nasty expression on her horsey looking face.

"I was the only one to see her for what she truly was, a freak! Then she met that Potter, and had you and your sister. I knew that the two of you would be the same, just as strange, just as abnormal, and then she went and got herself blown up, and we got landed with you two," said Petunia stepping beside Vernon.

"Blown up, but you told us that our parents died in a car crash," screamed Harry angrily.

"A car crash killed Lilly and James Potter? It's a scandal, an outrage," screamed Haggrid making the Dursley's back into the corner in fear!

"Well we had to tell them something sensible," said Petunia as she hid behind Vernon.

"I don't care what you say they won't be going." Said Vernon as Dudley snuck around and took Harry and Serenity's cake.

"Oh, and I suppose a great fat muggle like yourself is going to stop them, asked Haggrid with an odd look on his face?

"Excuse me but what's a muggle," asked Harry?

"Muggle, it means none magical folks like them," explained Haggrid gently as he smiled down at Harry and his sister.

"These two children have had their names down since they were born. They'll be going to the finest school for witchcraft and wizardry in the world, and they'll be taught by the greatest headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen, Albus Dumbledore," said Haggrid reverently.

"I'll not pay to have some crack pot old fool teach them magic tricks," snarled Vernon angrily. It was then that Haggrid noticed the Dursley's fat son Dudley making a pig of himself as he scarfed down Harry and Serenity's birthday cake, and he removed his umbrella and pointed it at Vernon menacingly.

"Never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me," he said as he pointed it at Dudley's backside and a curly pig's tail sprouted from his backside making him and his parents scream in terror. Harry and Serenity watched and laughed softly to themselves as they watched their Uncle, Aunt, and cousin run upstairs screaming hysterically. "Um, I'd appreciate it if neither of you told anyone at school about this. I'm not allowed to do magic strictly speaking, said Haggrid as he quickly ushered the twins from the house and into a boat.

The next morning Haggrid led the twins through London with a happy smile on his hairy face. As they walked Serenity read over her letter and brought the list of supplies to her brother's attention. He read the list out loud, and then looked up at Haggrid questioningly. "Haggrid, my sister and I were wondering, will we be able to find all of this stuff in London," he asked as he showed the large man his school list?

"Sure, you can, if you know where to look," said Haggrid as he lead the two Potter children into the Leaky Cauldron pup.

After both of the Potter children were swarmed by admirers and well-wishers, Haggrid rushed them out into a small brick lined court yard, and tapped some of the bricks on the wall in a pattern. Harry and Serenity gasped in awe as the solid brick wall before them rearranged itself and transformed into an arched door that led out onto a crowded street lined on both sides with shops of all kinds.

"Haggrid my sister and I were wondering, how we're going to pay for everything that we need? We haven't any money," said Harry with his hands in his pockets.

"There's no need to worry about that, you two. We'll just make a little trip into Gringgots Wizard Bank and make a withdrawal," said Haggrid as he led the children into the massive bank that was one hundred times the size of anything that they had ever seen in their lives.

"_Harry, what do you suppose those strange looking things behind the desks are," _asked Serenity with a fearful tone in her voice as she walked passed the ugly little creatures.

Harry stopped briefly as a goblin crossed his path then he asked Haggrid about them under his breath not wanting to offend anything.

"Those are Goblins. They're not the friendliest creatures, but they're as smart as it gets when it comes to handling money. There's no place safer than Gringgots aside from perhaps Hogwarts to hide something precious," said Haggrid as they reached the front desk with a particularly mean looking goblin sitting there with his hooked nose in a book.

"Mr. and Miss. Potter would like to make a withdrawal," said Haggrid getting the goblin's attention.

"Do Mr. and Miss. Potter have their keys," asked the goblin as he leaned over the edge of his desk and peered down at the two children?

"Yes, I have them right here, said Haggrid as he rooted through his pockets for the two small golden keys. I also have a note from Professor Albus Dumbledore. It's about you know what, in volt you know which," said Haggrid as he handed over the note to the goblin.

After a heart pounding ride in a cart, they stopped at volt's 587, and 588. The Goblin took the Key's from Serenity and Harry each in turn letting each of them into their private volts. Harry entered his volt first and stood there for a moment in shock. He had never seen so much money in his life. When Serenity entered her volt, she walked in and looked around in utter disbelief.

Suddenly Haggrid jumped as he heard a sweet soft unfamiliar girl's voice inside of his head. _"Mr. Haggrid, is all of this money truly ours,"_ asked the sweet voice questioningly? Haggrid looked around for the sorce of the voice and Harry joined his sister in her volt as she gathered a few handfuls of gold galleons and placed them into a velvet bag that the goblin had handed her.

"To answer your question, Haggrid, that voice in your head is my sister's way of communicating. She only does it with people who she feels like she can trust, so the fact that she chose to speak to you in this way means a lot, especially since she doesn't trust men," said Harry as his sister joined him and looked up at Haggrid expectantly.

_"__I'm sorry if I frightened you, Mr. Haggrid," _she said with an apologetic expression on her face.

"Oh, erm, I, um, you didn't frighten me little darlin. I just never expected to hear anyone's voice in my head, let alone your sweet little voice," said Haggrid as he happily hugged Serenity and her brother tightly.

"Haggrid, we, can't, breath," gasped Harry.

"Sorry about that kids. You didn't think that your parents would leave you with nothing for the future did you," he asked as he led the twins from the volt?

They left the bank after Haggrid removed something small from volt 713, and went shopping for their school supplies. Serenity loved it when they went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, because for once her clothes weren't second hand and fit her perfectly. While she was being fitted for her robes there was another girl being fitted who attempted to make girly conversation, but when Serenity was unable to answer her she quickly turned away and called her a snob.

She paid for her purchases, and happily wore a lovely new pink dress, with black ballet flats out. Harry wolf whistled at his sister as she exited the store. He had never seen her look so beautiful.

"Boy, Serenity, you look great. I'm going to have to hex the boys away from you when I get my wand and learn some spells," said Harry making his sister laugh and smile in his head.

_"__Harry, I don't think that you'll have to go that far. I might not even make any friends, let alone ever want a boyfriend," _she said as she thought about the way that the girl in the shop had treated her.

"Don't be silly Serenity, you'll make loads of friends, you'll see," soothed Harry as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they walked behind Haggrid.

After visiting several more shops, they finally made their way to Olivander's Wand Shop. Serenity loved the book store that they had just left minutes before, and had her noes buried in one of her books, that surprisingly was not on Harry's school list as they walked. "Serenity, what book is that? It wasn't on my list," said Harry as he peaked over her shoulder and guided her through the streets since she wasn't paying attention.

_"__It may have not been on your school list, but it was at the top of mine underlined in red, so it must be important," _she answered as her brother led her into the wand shop.

"You two wait here, I've got something that I have to do real fast," said Haggrid making Serenity look up fearfully.

_"__You're leaving us alone, Mr. Haggrid,"_ she asked him fearfully with a panicked look on her face?

"Don't worry, I'll be right back, and you'll be safe here for a few minutes." Said Haggrid placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he smiled down at her. Serenity didn't like being left alone in the dusty shop filled with rows upon rows of boxes.

"Ah, Mr. and Miss Potter, I wondered when I'd be seeing the two of you. It seems like only yesterday your parents were in here buying their first wands," said the old man as he pulled two boxes out of a shelf and brought them over to the counter for the twins. "Here we are, try and give these a wave," he said handing Harry and Serenity each a wand. Serenity and Harry both gave their wands a flick and boxes exploded from the shelves. "Apparently not," he said as he ran into the back and rummaged for two new wands.

Serenity gently laid the first wand onto the counter and Harry did the same with a shocked expression on his face. Then Olivander came back and handed them each another wand. "Perhaps these will work," he said as he handed them the new wands. Harry and Serenity gave the wands gentle flicks again, this time shattering two flower vases.

"NO, no, definitely not the wand's for you," he said as he ran back into the shelves and searched again. He ran his fingers over the boxes and paused over two boxes that he never thought to sell, and pulled them out with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I wonder, please try these," he said as he handed them the new wands.

As they touched the wands they felt a warm tingling sensation flow through them starting at their wand hand, and a red glow surrounded them. "Now that's simply curious, very curious indeed," exclaimed Olivander as he tapped his chin in thought!

"Excuse me, but what's curious," asked Harry bringing to light the question that was in Serenity's mind as well?

"I remember every wand that I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. It just so happens that the phoenix who's tail feather resides in the wands of you and your sister, gave another feather, just one. It is curious that these wands should choose you and your sister when it was their brother that gave the two of you those scars," said Olivander pointing at Harry and Serenity's lightning bolt scars.

"Who owned that wand," asked Harry?

"We do not speak his name. The wand chooses the wizard and Witch Mr. and Miss Potter. It is not always clear why, but I think that it is certainly clear that we can expect great things from the two of you. After all He Who Must Not Be Named did great things, yes terrible, but great things," said Olivander as Haggrid tapped on the window to get their attention and held up two large cages with owls in them.

"Happy birthday, Serenity, Harry," he said happily placing a caged owl in each of their hands. Harry's owl was a lovely white snowy owl, and Serenity's was an equally beautiful white barn owl. Later that evening they all sat in the Leaky Cauldron eating a nice hot meal, when Serenity's voice came into her brother's head.

"Are the two of you alright, Harry? You both seem very quiet," observed Haggrid as they sat around the dinner table with their owls eating.

_"__Harry, ask him, surely he must know something about the night that our parents died," _came her voice in his head as she once again buried her nose into one of her books.

"He killed our parents, didn't he? You know the man who gave us these scars don't you Haggrid? We know that you do, please tell us," asked Harry?

Haggrid sighed and leaned back in his chair thinking on how to explain things to them. "First you two, you need to understand this. Not all witches and Wizards are good, a few of them occasionally go bad. A few years back there was this one wizard who went as bad as you can go, his name was-was," trailed off Haggrid with a distressed look on his face.

"Maybe if you wrote it down," suggested Harry.

"No, I can't spell it. Okay, his name was Voldemort," whispered Haggrid.

"Voldemort," echoed Harry!

"Shah, those were dark times, Harry, dark times indeed. Voldemort had started to gather some followers, and brought them over to the dark side. Anyone who refused him ended up dead. Your parents fought against him. Nobody lived once he decided to kill them. Nobody, not even one, except for the two of you that is.

"Us, Voldemort tried to kill us," whispered Harry out loud and Serenity in Haggrid's head in shock?

"Yes, that aint no ordinary cut on your forehead and your sister's throat Harry. Marks like that only come from being touched by a curse, and an evil curse at that."

"What happened to you know who," asked Harry?

"Well some say that he died, cat's wallop in my opinion. Nope, I reckon, that he's out there still, too weak to carry on, but one thing is for certain. Something about the two of you stumped him that night. That's why the two of you are famous, that's why everyone knows your names. You're the twins who lived," said Haggrid in an amazed tone.

Haggrid left them back at number 4 Privet drive later that night warning the Dursley's that if they harassed or harmed Harry and Serenity that he would have Dudley a matching pair of ears to go with that tail, before smiling and leaving handing them both their train tickets. "Don't forget, you two stick to your tickets," he said as he left the house waving happily.

**A/N thanks for reading please leave a comment if you'd like to share you opinion. Chapter four – Slytherin's Potter will be next.**


	4. Chapter Four – Slytherin's Potter

**Chapter four – Slytherin's Potter**

Due to the preparations that Severus had to make for the up and coming school term he didn't have the time to check up on his little secret obsession. He worried over how the Dursley's were treating her and to a lesser degree her brother, who in his opinion looked too much like his father James Potter for his comfort. He knew that the boy seemed to handle living with his horrid relatives much better than the girl. She seemed so fragile and weak. It was for that reason that he prayed that she ended up placed in his house. Under his protection and care, he would ensure that she learned to defend herself.

He smiled to himself as he thought of all that he would like to teach that particular student. She would thrive and flourish in his house, and he would make sure of it. From that day he began to research and to work on a way to give her proper use of the tiny little voice that he knew her to have, and make her life easier if he were able to do so.

Serenity had started out happily riding with her brother on the Hogwarts express, but after a ginger haired boy named Ron Weasley, made a comment of how rude she was not to speak, she abruptly got up and grabbed her caged owl and her trunk and left the compartment for friendlier riding companions or solitude, whichever came first.

She had found a place in the creature car where other older students had left their pets and trunks, and took a seat on top of her trunk taking her owl, which she had named Olly, out of his cage to pat him. She was sitting in this way stroking her owl and feeding him owl treats with silent tears flowing freely down her cheeks when someone entered the creature car of the train and noticed her.

"Hay, aren't you that Harry Potter's twin sister," asked a blond boy with silver eyes as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket? Serenity looked up and nodded placing her free hand over her scar to hide it. "You really can't talk, can you," he asked as he sat beside her and handed her his handkerchief? Serenity shook her head in the negative.

"Do you have any way of communicating with others," he asked as he fed her owl a treat and patted him? Serenity felt comforted by this boy who had chosen to speak to her so nicely, so she let down her mental walls and spoke to him with her mind.

"_I can speak to those who I trust mentally, and I also whisper very softly, and write notes to people and I know this thing called sign language,"_ she said in his mind giving him a watery smile.

"That's a bit strange, but very interesting. My name is Draco Malfoy. Why are you sitting all alone in the creature car, Serenity Potter," he asked with a caring expression on his face?

"_I was sitting with my brother, but a rude red headed boy named Ron Weasel, or something like that came in and was rude to me, and made me feel uncomfortable," _she said returning Olly to his cage.

"Ah, the Weasley's, I see, Serenity why don't you come and sit with me and my friends. We won't judge you, or let anyone hurt your feelings. You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others," he said as he got up and offered his hand to help her to her feet.

_"__So, you want me to be one of your new friends as well," _asked Serenity as she took his offered hand and got to her feet?

"Of course I do, here let me take your trunk for you, Serenity," he said as he grasped her trunk and pulled it along with them into the car that his friends were waiting for him in.

"Hay Draco, what took you so long," asked Crabbe and Goyle in unison?

"Nothing, I just met Serenity Potter and invited her to be out friend and join us in our compartment. Apparently the Weasel made her feel sad and teased her," he said as he guided her down into a seat between himself and the two large boys.

"We're sorry about that Miss Potter, you just stick with us and if anyone makes you feel sad or teases you, let us know and we'll handle them for you," said Crabbe as he pounded his fist into his hand.

Soon Serenity and the three boys were joined by Daphne Greengrass and Millicent Bulstrode, who immediately took Serenity over to their side of the compartment and started giggling madly as they polished each other's finger nails and discussed the latest fashions. "You're not weird at all Serenity, you're amazing," said Pansy Parkinson.

"Yeah, girl, I wish that I could speak with other's mentally, it would be so cool to have conversations that nobody could hear unless you wanted them to," said Daphne as she carefully painted Serenity's fingers a nice shade of pink that matched her dress perfectly.

"So, Serenity, tell us, do you know what Hogwarts house you want to be placed in," asked Blaze?

"_Well, Mr. Haggrid, told us briefly about the houses and their four founders, but I'm not sure which house will be right for me. My brother is far braver than I am so he'll most likely end up in Gryffindor. I am smart and love to read and study hard,, so I might end up in Ravenclaw, however I just want to prove that I belong somewhere great, and that I am capable of doing anything that anyone else can do, so maybe Slytherin will suit me better," _said Serenity in the mind of all of her new friends.

"If you get a choice, you should join us in Slytherin house. All of us come from pure blooded families, and our families have been in Slytherin house for years as far back as anyone can remember," said Draco as the lady with the treat trolley came to the door of their compartment.

Serenity joined everyone and bought one of each of the treats from the trolley to try, since she had never had wizarding treats before. She found that she liked the red lickerish wands, but not the black ones. The Pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes, and chocolate frogs were all good too. Her favorite wizard sweet so far was definitely the every flavored beans. She felt like she could quite possibly live off of them if she had to, due to the many flavors.

As the train drew nearer to Hog's-made station her new girlfriends rushed her into the girl's bathroom, where they all changed into their new school robes for the first time. As the train stopped minutes later she walked arm in arm with her group of new friends down to the boats. She watched as the giant known as Haggrid helped a few of the more timid students into the waiting boats then got into one himself.

Draco and his three chums watched the beautiful, yet somewhat skinny Serenity Rose Potter as she floated across the black lake with Millicent and the other girls with a look of wonder on his pale face. He was then snapped back to reality as Blaze said something that got them all arguing over something worthwhile.

"Hay, Draco, I bet you one hundred Galleons that I'll get Potter to date me before you do," he said winking toward the boat occupied by the girls.

"You're mad if you think that you're going to date her, mate she clearly prefers the strong type. I think that Crabbe and I have a better chance of getting her to date one of us than you do Zabini," said Goyle smugly.

"Neither of you have a chance with her, if you ask me. Didn't you see how fearful she seemed when she was sitting with the two of you before the other girls came in? A girl like her needs not only someone who is her mental and educational equal, but a gentleman, like me," said Draco hitting Crabbe and Goyle upside the head for even thinking of attempting to date Serenity.

Once everyone had entered the castle, Serenity looked around for her brother. She saw him once again with the Weasel boy, and decided to stay with the girls who were so friendly to her instead of joining her brother. As Draco introduced himself to her brother she heard his comment, and chided him from clear across the room. "_Honestly, Harry, be nice. Draco Malfoy is the first person that I've met on the train that was actually nice to me, and thanks to him I now have at least seven new friends." _ On hearing his sister's voice in his head he looked around wildly for her until he saw her standing with a group of girls clear across the crowded room and waved.

The students were then greeted by a stern looking witch with dark green robes and a pointy hat with a single feather sticking out of it. After introducing herself and telling them about the four Hogwarts houses, and the point system, she led them into the great hall and they all stood before the entire school as an old looking wizards hat was placed upon a stool.

As names were called out she looked around at all of the students that were sitting at their respective house tables, then up at the staff table where the professors sat. It was then that she noticed the familiar black eyes of the man, who had protected her months ago. She reached out to him mentally somehow knowing that he would hear her and be able to answer.

_"__Hello, Sir, it's a pleasure to see you again," _she thought to him with a slight smile and a gentle nod. On hearing the voice in his head he immediately looked up and their eyes locked for the briefest second before he mentally sent her his reply.

"_I am glad to find, that you've made it to Hogwarts, Miss Potter. I am Professor Severus Snape, and I am the head of Slytherin house as well as your potions professor. I wish to continue to protect you and to get to know you better. If the sorting hat gives you a choice, join Slytherin house,"_ he thought to her as he raised his goblet and saluted her with a slight nod.

Serenity nodded then turned her attention back to the front as she heard her brother's name called. Harry sat under the hat for what seemed like a long time than it screamed out Gryffindor, just as she had predicted earlier on the train with her new friends. Then her name was being called and she stepped forward to be sorted.

Severus watched as both Potter children were sat under the sorting hat. It was the first time that he had truly gotten a good look at Harry. He indeed looked almost exactly like his father, but his eyes were the same color that once belonged to his mother. Serenity Rose Potter, on the other hand was the spitting image of her mother as she sat under the sorting hat. He found himself mentally transported back in time to another sorting, one that he would remember for the rest of his life as it was the sorting that had taken from him the only friend that he ever had.

He was so lost in his memories that he only snapped back to reality as the sorting hat suddenly shouted out Slytherin, and his house table erupted into rowdy applause and shouts and cheers over the fact that they too, now had one of the twins who lived among their house members. As Serenity stepped down from the stool to cheers and applause from her new housemates, she glanced over to where her brother was sitting at the Gryffindor table. He did not look pleased at her placement.

As the feast began Serenity wanted to eat a bit of everything that she saw, but she was unable to hold it down, and subsequently fainted as she attempted to not lose the contents of her stomach. She awoke an hour later with the sounds of the dark man that she now knew as her head of house and another motherly looking witch speaking in hushed tones at the foot of her bed in what looked like a hospital.

On listening to the adults as they spoke she learned that Draco and her other friends had told their head of house how she hadn't even eaten much on the train, and that she had been sick at least once while on the train as well. Her head of house then glanced down at her and noticed that she was awake. He quickly rushed over to her side, and took a seat on a chair beside her bed.

"Here, Miss Potter, drink these, they'll make you feel much better," said Madam Pomfrey as she handed a few potions over to the Slytherin head to ensure that his newest charge drank them all down.

"I suggest that you drink this one first, Miss Potter as it will settle your stomach," said her head of house in his soft soothing voice as he handed her one of the phials of potion to drink. "To answer your question before you ask it, that is a pepper-up potion, and this is a nutrient potion," he said as he handed her the other phial to drink.

Have you always had trouble with your stomach," he asked curiously?

"_Yes, professor, but to be fair if you had grown up as I had only getting little to nothing to eat for most of your life, you wouldn't be able to eat real food very well either,"_ she said hoping that she didn't sound disrespectful.

"You might be surprised about certain things that you and I have in common my Slytherin Princess. There are things that we shall discuss later after Madam Pomfrey has deemed you healthy enough to be released from the hospital wing. Rest for now, I will speak to you later," he said as he made her lay back onto the pillow and covered her with the blanket in a fatherly fashion.

After a thorough examination, Madam Pomfrey turned to Professor Snape with a worried expression on her face and quickly pulled him into her office. After closing the door behind her and placing a silencing ward on it so that they would not be overheard. "Severus, this is not good at all. According to my diagnostic scans, aside from being beaten severely, there's evidence of old injuries, broken bones that haven't mended properly due to medical neglect, and is suspect that she may have even been raped more than once since the last time that we've seen her," said Poppy as she paced the floor of her office angrily.

"How Albus could allow those poor children to live in such an abusive home is beyond me. I want her to stay here for a few days at least so that I can see about properly healing her of her older wounds, and work on building up her immune system, before she is allowed to join her class mates. I will arrange a private room for her here in the hospital wing, until she is strong enough to join the rest of her house."

"Perhaps, once Albus reads my medical report on the child, he will see fit to have them removed from their Aunt and Uncle's care," said Poppy as she scribbled madly on a piece of parchment.

"I doubt it, Poppy. I tried more times than I could count to convince him to move her and her brother from the home of the Muggles, but even after he saw my memories of how they had locked her out of the house in a rain storm and how she was badly bruised and scared, he still refused to remove them," said Severus angrily.

"Severus I don't like that look in your eyes. What are you thinking," asked Poppy with a knowing tone in her voice?

"Nothing Poppy, you're already involved far more than I wish that you were. Leave this to me, just believe me that I will do whatever it takes to save her and remove her from that situation even if it means betraying Albus to do it," he said as he peeked out of the glass window of Poppy's office to where Serenity was sleeping restlessly. "As soon as you get a chance to examine Mr. Potter, let me know. I want to ensure that he is not suffering as badly as his sister," said Severus as he left the office in a swirl of his black robes.

**Chapter Five – School, Family, and Home will be next.**


	5. Chapter Five – School, Family, and Home

**Chapter Five – School, Family, and Home**

Later that night on Severus's urging Minerva escorted Harry Potter to the hospital wing. He needed someone other than Madam Pomfrey on his side to confront Albus over the issue, so He took her aside into Poppy's office while the Matron examined Harry. "Severus, I can't believe that Albus could be so blind. He said that the blood wards would protect them," she cried as she gazed out of the office window to where Serenity Potter slept and Harry watched his sister with a worried expression on his face.

"Believe it Minerva, I've seen the evidence of her abuse for myself, and it wasn't a pretty sight. The child has been raped, beaten and even undergone long periods of starvation. She is barely capable of holding anything on her stomach. Her new housemates and friends have told me that she barely nibbled at various treats on the train and got sick at least once before getting here."

"If her brother has suffered the same, we need to make Albus see reason. The children must be removed from their abusive relatives," said Severus as he watched Poppy examine Harry and ask him questions.

"Severus, I feel the same as you do on this, but unless the boy shows signs of abuse as well, Albus won't remove them," said Minerva as Poppy came from behind the hospital partition and moved quickly toward her office with a look on her face that was unreadable.

As the healer entered the office both professors turned to her with concerned looks on their faces. "How is the boy, Poppy," asked Minerva pensively?

"He's a little underweight, but there's not a mark on him except for the scar on his forehead. He's admitted that his uncle does beat his sister instead of him since she can't scream out. She's also never been treated by any muggle doctor or healer," said Poppy as she plopped down into her chair and started scribbling madly on a piece of parchment.

"His health is much better than hers because he manages to escape the house and scrounge for food wherever he can find it. I'll speak with the headmaster, in my opinion neither of those children need to return to their relatives. Blood wards only work if there is love and care from at least one family member. They can be weakened if no love exists," said Poppy as she rolled up the parchment before leaving through her floo to speak with the headmaster.

For the next three days Serenity was confined to the hospital wing and was visited by her head of house who made sure that she drank all potions without arguing over it, and her friends who helped her keep up to date in her classes. Harry would also visit to check up on her but would turn around the instant that he saw Draco.

On the fourth day Severus arrived at the hospital wing to see that once again Serenity had her nose buried in her Nonverbal Spells textbook. To his amazement she had almost read the entire book. He cleared his throat to get her attention and she looked up at him expectantly before placing the tip of her wand to her throat and opening her mouth. "Professor Snape, please tell me that I can join my friends in the dorm today. I'm getting sick of not joining in on classes and it's so lonely in here," she said in a sweet voice that reminded him of her mother in too many ways.

"I'm impressed Miss Potter, the Sonorous charm is advanced magic, and you've used it nonverbally," he said with a proud half smile on his lips.

"The sonorous charm was suggested by Draco and my other friends in Slytherin house. They said that even though it was cool to be able to have a conversation with me without me speaking that it would be nice if I could kind of talk like everyone else, so I tried it out on you, sir," she said happily.

"That is interesting, do you still have the book that they borrowed from the library that allowed you to learn that spell? I'd like to do a bit of research on your behalf. It may be possible to make an enchanted necklace or something along those lines to allow you to speak without using your wand to do it," said Severus thoughtfully? Serenity smiled and handed him the library book.

"Sir, may I leave the hospital wing now please," she pleaded?

"Get dressed and meet me in Madam Pomfrey's office. There are important matters which she and the headmaster finally wish to speak to you about," he said as he left her private room. Serenity leapt out of bed and dressed into her school robes quickly before gathering her things and putting them all into her bag and leaving the room. As she walked to the healer's office she prayed that this would be the last time that she ever had to enter the hospital wing, as she found that she hated being in a hospital setting.

She knocked on the door softly and stepped in as her head of house opened the door for her and took her bag as he guided her down into a chair in front of the headmaster and the healer. She pointed her wand at her throat and thought, "_sonorous,"_ so that she could speak. There was just something that she didn't like about the look on the headmaster's face and the faces of the healer and her head of house, all of whom looked like they had been yelling at each other only seconds before she had entered the room.

"Am I in trouble for something," she asked in a fearful tone as she started to shake with fear and tried to make herself as small as possible in the chair?

"No, Serenity you are not in trouble. We just need to know about how you are treated at home by your Aunt and Uncle," said Professor Dumbledore as he gazed into her eyes attempting to use his legilimensy skills on her to see the truth for himself.

She felt an unfamiliar sensation as if someone was attempting to move through her thoughts so she removed her wand from her throat and shut down completely. Albus stumbled backward and almost fell against Poppy's desk with the force of her mental shutdown. "Headmaster, I told you not to push her," said Poppy noting the blank expression in the girl's eyes.

Severus then heard her sobbing voice in his head and turned to look at her curiously.

_"__I know what you all want from me, but I don't want to think or talk about it right now. Please sir, don't make me," _sobbed her voice in his head as she started to sob outwardly and hyperventilate.

Severus sank to his knees in front of her and placed a reassuring hand on her trembling fist which was clenched tightly into her skirt.

"Calm down, Miss Potter, if you're not ready to speak of what's bothering you at this time we won't force you to do so. Here, drink this it will calm you down. Once you are calm you may go down to the dorm if you'd like," he said as he handed her a calming draft. He waited until the potion had taken affect and hand her back her bag before allowing her to leave the room.

As the door closed behind her Severus cast a silencing charm before he spun on the headmaster in rage. "Headmaster, you shouldn't have tried using legilimens on her straight off. She has trust issues as it is. You could have simply come right out and asked her what you needed to know. I am certain that if outwardly questioned that she would have confided in us, but now you've made her completely shut down again," he shouted as he paced the room like a caged animal.

"Severus I needed to know the truth," said Albus shaking his head.

"The truth, Albus, is that I've saved her from catching pneumonia during the summer when her muggle aunt and uncle locked her out of the house in a rain storm. The truth is that she was out there because there was something terrible going on in that house that she wanted to run away from. The truth is that when I found her that night in the rain she was covered in nasty looking black and blue bruises and various cuts and scars. The truth is that Poppy's examination of the girl clearly shows that she has been starved, beaten, and raped before she came here. How can you leave her and her brother in that house, Albus with muggles that don't love them," screamed Severus hysterically as his magic made sparks fly from the tip of his wand that was clenched so tightly in his hand that his knuckles were white?

"Severus their safe there, the blood wards will," started Albus.

"The blood wards are useless unless there is someone in that house that loves the ones that the wards are meant to protect! There is no love in that house, Albus you have to remove the Potter children from that house unless you wish to have one of them be killed. As weak and sickly as Serenity Potter was when she arrived here, I hate to think that she will be the one who suffers that fate," said Severus as he spun on the old man angrily.

"Severus, please calm down. I'm afraid that Mr. Potter knows nothing about his sister being sexually abused, and unless we have her memories to confirm these so called facts that you've disobeyed me to obtain, the medical report is worthless in the eyes of the Ministry," said Albus calmly.

"So, what you are telling me is that you're not going to do a damned thing about this," said Severus attempting to calm down?

"For now, I'm afraid so my boy," said Albus earning frowns from Poppy and Severus.

"Albus, I'm warning you that if she or her brother dies at the hands of those muggles, their blood will be on your hands," snarled Severus as he left the room abruptly no longer being able to stand being in the same room with the old fool.

Serenity was almost to the entrance of the dungeons when she heard her brother's voice calling her from the door of the great hall. She turned and glared at him angrily. "_Harry why did you not come and talk to me, I needed you,"_ she said in his mind with tears rolling down her cheeks?

"Sis, your friend Draco Malfoy doesn't like me, and besides my friends wouldn't like it if they saw me talking to a Slytherin," he said as he attempted to place a loving hand on her shoulder.

"_Don't touch me, Harry. I wouldn't want your bloody arm to fall off if you dared to touch a filthy, slimy Slytherin like me. I thought that you and I were closer than that big brother, but apparently I was wrong,"_ came her angry sobbing voice in his head as she pulled away from him and turned her back to him as she ran down into the dungeons.

Harry was in shock over what his sister had said. It wasn't like that at all, he loved his sister no matter the fact that she was a member of a rival house, she was still his sister and she needed him. He ran after her calling for her to stop and listen, but she had already slipped behind the portrait of Salazar Slytherin and he knew that the portrait wouldn't open for anyone unless they were a Slytherin and they had the password.

He turned around dejectedly and started to trudge sadly back up to Gryffindor tower when the portrait opened again behind him. He turned expecting to find his sister only to be surrounded by damn near the entire house of Slytherin who looked very angry. Before he could blink he was pushed back against the wall and stuck there hanging five feet from the ground by his underwear by someone's unspoken hex, and Draco's wand was pointed threateningly at his throat.

"Potter, what the hell are you doing down here, and what did you do to Serenity," snarled Draco with his stormy eyes narrowed in rage?

"I was trying to speak with my sister, if it's any of your business," snapped Harry as he struggled to get down from the wall.

"Oh, now you care about your sister! You didn't seem too concerned with her wellbeing when she was sitting alone in the creature car of the Hogwarts express crying her eyes out, or when she was alone in the hospital wing. And to think that she actually cried when you entered the hospital wing all of those times and quickly left as if she had contracted a deadly case of the dragon pox," snarled Draco angrily.

"What should we do to him for hurting our friend," asked Crabbe and Goyle cracking their knuckles?

"It's not worth getting detention or losing house points over, leave him here for Mr. Filtch or Professor Snape to find," suggested a house prefect as he opened the portrait to usher the younger students back inside.

"Yeah, Draco, Donaldson, is right. Besides Serenity needs us to make her feel better and to cheer her up, "said Millicent as she turned and entered the common room. Draco scowled and followed his friends and housemates back into the common room letting the portrait slam behind them.

Minutes later a very angry looking Professor Snape stalked toward the entrance of Slytherin house. The first thing that he noticed was none other than Harry Potter hanging from his briefs on the wall beside the entrance. "Well, well, what do we have here," he asked silkily instantly getting the attention of the boy and the portrait?

"Sir, I was just," started Harry.

"He was trying to enter the Slytherin house common room, and our loyal Slytherin students caught him in the act," said Salazar snidely with a wicked grin on his painted face.

"I wasn't trying to get in to Slytherin house," argued Harry angrily.

"Are you calling the founder of the noble and honorable house of Slytherin a liar," asked Severus with crossed arms?

"Sir, my sister came running down here, I wanted to speak with her," said Harry with a pleading look on his face. Snape flicked his wand and Harry fell hard to the ground with a grunt.

"Well it is apparent, that your sister doesn't want to speak to you or anyone else for that matter. Leave this corridor before I give you a detention and take points away," snapped Severus as he gently peered into the boy's mind and saw that he was speaking the truth.

"But, sir, my sister," started Harry.

"Your sister is a member of my house, Mr. Potter. We take care of our own here. I give you my word that she is in good hands here among her friends, and that I'll look out for her now go unless you'd rather I'd take twenty points from your house for making a nuisance of yourself," said Severus as he stood over the boy with his arms crossed. Harry gulped and backed away from the professor before turning and running from the dungeons.

Severus entered the Slytherin common room to find nearly all of Slytherin house at Serenity's locked door attempting to sooth her and to talk her out of her room. He pushed through the crowd of concerned students and knocked lightly at the door. "Miss Potter, may I come in please? I need a word with you," he said in a soft calming voice. He looked down at his feet when a piece of parchment slid under the door with tear stains blotching the ink.

He read what it said to himself and placed a hand on her door in thought.

"_Professor Snape,_

_Please forgive me, but I do not wish to see or to speak with anyone at this moment. I will accept any punishment that you deem worthy as punishment for my disobedience, but please don't beat me._

_Serenity Rose Potter."_ Severus finished reading the letter then turned to the other Slytherins.

"She'll be alright, just leave her alone and she'll come out when she's ready. She's been through a lot and needs time alone," he said as he left the common room for the comfort of his office. The other students were pleased to see that as their head of house had predicted, Serenity did come out of her room and joined them for dinner in the great hall.

As she entered the great hall for the evening meal she didn't even look in her brother's direction. She kept her eyes held proudly forward and took a seat between Draco Malfoy and Millicent at the Slytherin table and silently poured herself a goblet of chilled pumpkin juice. Harry on the other hand followed her every move with his eyes, just wishing that she would look up at him once she had taken her seat, but she didn't.

Time dragged on and now it was the evening of the Halloween feast. Serenity despite her silence and refusal to speak to anyone with the aid of the sonorous charm, flourished in her lessons making very high marks since she was the only first year who was able to perform every spell that they were taught with nonverbal magic, earning her house loads of points.

The other professors were very pleased with her spell work, but Severus was more pleased than any on the staff could fathom, for it seemed that unlike her brother who did not have any true talent with potions, his sister was a miniature potions mistress in the making. Every potion that she handed in to her head of house was perfectly brewed, and Severus couldn't help noticing that as he taught that she took notes on his every brewing instruction word for word.

Harry tried on several occasions to speak with his sister, but she was never alone. She kept herself close to her friends in Slytherin house and stayed as far from him as possible. Her silent treatment continued until the day of Harry's first match against the Slytherin house quiddich team. Harry flew above the crowd looking for the snitch when all of a sudden his broom began to buck wildly.

Serenity quickly got to her feet in fear as her brother lost his seat on the broom and was dangling by one hand from his broom as it swung him around in the air. She saw Hermione Granger from across the pitch running somewhere, and assumed that she was attempting to help her brother. "Serenity what are you doing," asked Draco as she pulled her wand and pointed it at her brother as he attempted to get back onto his broom?

"_Gryffindor or not he's my brother, Draco. I can't let him die,"_ said her voice in his head as she cast her spell at her brother lifting him back onto his broomstick. As the broom stopped moving and stabilized, Harry struggled to get back on. He suddenly felt as if someone was pulling him up by his waist, and turned to see his sister with her wand pointed at him.

He smiled at her and she nodded and smiled back sending him a message that only he could hear. "_I'm sorry that I haven't spoken to you in so long Harry. We need to talk about something. Please meet me near the black lake later tonight,"_ said her voice in his head. Harry nodded and waved at her before taking off after the golden snitch, which he almost swallowed when he caught in his mouth by accident.

Later that night after curfew, Serenity had managed to sneak out of the Slytherin common room and was about to pass Professor Snape's office when she froze with fear as someone cleared their throat behind her. She turned slowly and looked up into the dark eyes of her head of house and bowed her head with shame.

"Miss Potter, I have decided to give both you and your brother a reprieve from punishment this evening. He's waiting for you in the potions class room. You may speak as long as you like, but when the two of you are finished I expect to find that both of you have returned to your beds," he said as he handed her a slip of parchment. "Your brother has one as well, if you are discovered simply present this to a member of staff and you will not be reprimanded," he said as he turned and went back into his office.

Serenity stood there in shock for a moment and then turned and ran to the potions classroom. His arms were around her the instant that the door closed behind her and he kissed her cheeks over and over again. "Serenity please forgive me for being such a prat. I know that you're not like the others here at this school," he said in a rush.

_"__I forgave you quite some time ago Harry. You are my only family, the only one who loves me in this world. Sure I have my friends in Slytherin house, but when all is said and done, it's you that I depend on to keep me alive_," she said in his head.

"Yeah, speaking of keeping a person alive, you do realize that I now owe you something called a life debt. You saved me from death earlier today when I was seconds from losing my grip and falling from my broom. I owe you big time for that sis," said Harry honestly.

"_Harry, you've saved me more times than you know from a possible death every time that you got between Uncle Vernon and me. You owe me nothing, as far as I'm concerned I owe you," _said Serenity in his head.

"Sis, you don't owe me a thing," started Harry before his sister's voice popped back into his head again disrupting his train of thought.

"_I do owe you, Harry; I owe you an apology and an explanation. I know that you were questioned by the Headmaster, Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape about what goes on in our relative's house. They questioned me too, but I shut them all out because Professor Dumbledore tried to use this magical skill that had he succeeded would have allowed him to view my memories. I felt violated almost as bad as,_" she trailed off and turned away crying.

"Serenity, you felt violated almost as bad as what exactly," asked Harry frowning as he made her turn to face him?

_"__Harry, I've never told you, because I thought that you knew already," _she sobbed harder trembling now.

"Serenity what did you think I already knew," asked Harry? Serenity was about to give her brother the answer that she knew that he deserved to hear when the door suddenly burst open and Filtch stalked in.

"Oh my, we are in trouble," he crooned wickedly. "It's not proper for a young witch and a young wizard to have themselves closeted away in an empty classroom after curfew," he said as his lanky cat Mrs. Norris rubbed herself against his legs mewing happily for alerting her master to the seemingly delinquent students.

"We have permission to be in here," said Harry presenting his slip of parchment to the old squib.

"A likely story, you probably forged this," he said as he inspected the two slips of parchment.

"I assure you Mr. Filtch that they most certainly have not forged those notes. I am aware that they are out of bed after curfew and that they are here alone in this classroom, as it is I, who gave them permission to do so. You may leave them to me," said Professor Snape smoothly making the old ground keeper sneer with disgust as he left the room grumbling.

Professor Snape then turned to the two siblings and gave them an exasperated look. "It's getting late, and you both have classes tomorrow, so perhaps you both should go to bed," he said holding the door open for them. Serenity hugged Harry and quickly ran out of the room passed her head of house and straight into the Slytherin dorm.

"Come Mr. Potter, you should get back to your dormitory as well," said Severus giving the boy a look.

"Yes, sir," said Harry as he ran from the room and made for his dorm as fast as his feet could carry him.

**Chapter six Snape's Gift will be next.**


	6. Chapter Six Snape's Gift

**Chapter six Snape's Gift**

The rest of the school year seemed to flow by for Serenity, like her brother she was both surprised and pleased to find that she had for once actually been given not only one, but several wonderful Christmas gifts. Draco had gotten her a set of enchanted hair ribbons, which once they were touched to a girl's hair, would style her hair in any fashion that she wished. Millicent gave her a dress and matching shoes that would change themselves to any style and color every time that they were worn. Pansy gave her a set of silver earrings in the shape of their house mascot, and Blaze, Knott, and Marcus flint all gave her books on various types of magic that they figured that she'd like and get use out of.

While the rest of Slytherin gave her loads of different treats to eat and a few wizarding games, like Exploding Snap, Gob stones, and Wizards Chess. Surprisingly she even got a tin of home baked cookies and a hand knitted Sweater in her house colors with her first initial on it from Mrs. Weasley. All of these gifts were wonderful and amazing, but in her mind the best gift that she received was one that she got late Christmas night when her brother popped out from under a remarkable cloak that made him invisible and insisted that she come with him.

Harry pulled his sister close to cover her with their father's invisibility cloak, and quickly led her through the castle until they entered a forgotten room with a large mirror in it. "_Harry, what's the big deal here? Professor Snape is expecting me to be in the dorm," _she protested in his head.

"And yet you sneak out every night and stand alone at the top of the astronomy tower staring off into space," he said making her blush with embarrassment.

_"__Harry, how did you know about that,"_ she asked as her face went pale as a ghost?

"Humor me sis, and give me a little credit. You always stand in the same place, and you're always wearing nothing but a white night gown under your house robe. I can see you clearly from my dorm room window in Gryffindor tower," he said as he walked toward the mirror and looked into it with a smile.

"Come here, I've got something that you need to see," he said as he grasped her hand and pulled her toward the mirror and placed her right in front of it. "What do you see," he asked smiling at what he saw over her shoulder?

_"__Merlin's pants, Harry, it's our Mummy and Daddy. Their standing right behind us, and there's more people with them who have the same hair and eyes as we do. But how is this possible, their dead, and yet I can see them smiling at me," _she asked as she turned away from her family in the mirror and looked her brother in the eye?

"I don't know exactly, but doesn't it feel good to see them and to know that somewhere out there that they are watching over us," he said as he hugged his sister?

"_Yeah, it is comforting, I just wish that they were really here, because then we wouldn't have to be alone," _said Serenity as she picked up the cloak and ran her hands over it.

"Serenity I'm here for you, and I always will be. What was it that you wanted to tell me before we got interrupted by Filtch after my first quiddich match," he asked?

"_Harry, I'm sleepy; I promise that I'll tell you later, but not now. Please take me back to my dorm,"_ she said wishing to get off of the topic.

"Alright sis, Merry Christmas, sleep good," he said as he led her back to the entrance to her common room and hugged her good night before sneaking back passed Snape's office.

Months passed and soon Serenity started having horrid nightmares in which she would be raped and beaten over and over again until she died. She'd wake alone in her private room screaming more and more as the end of the year drew near. Unable to go back to sleep after an extremely vivid dream she arose from her bed and snuck out of the dorm to go up to her favorite quiet thinking spot.

She took the same route that she had taken time and time again and was almost to the third floor landing when she ran into her brother and his two friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Shocked to see their feet moving across the hall she stepped out of the shadows and placed her wand to her neck so that she could speak to all of them.

"Harry what are you three doing up here on the third floor," she asked with suspicious green eyes making them all jump in fright?

"Wow, Harry, I didn't know that your sister could talk," blurted Ron stupidly with his mouth agape.

"Serenity how did you," asked Harry?

"Duh, Harry, it's a spell, or can't you see my wand? By the way did you know that I could see your feet from under that thing of dad's? And where are you three going," she asked?

"There's no time to explain sis," We've got to stop Snape from stealing the Sorcerer's stone that was hidden here all year," said Harry grabbing his sister and pulling her along with them. They snuck past the door to where the sleeping three headed dog was sound asleep and looked around to see that there was a harp playing softly. "Great Snape's been here already and enchanted the harp to play. Come on you guys we've got to move his paw off of the trap door so that we can get in," said Harry.

Just as the four pushed the massive three headed dog's paw from the door and got the door open Serenity looked up and noticed that the harp had stopped playing and that the massive dog was now awake and looking straight at her. She slowly tapped Harry's shoulder and pointed her wand at her neck to make the others hear her.

"Um you guys, the harp has stopped playing, don't make any sudden moves or we're dog food," she said as before starting to sing softly hoping to sooth the dog once more. Hermione caught on and flicked her wand at the harp making it play as Serenity sang.

"Lay down your head, and I'll sing you a lullaby, back through the years till morning you'll lay, and I'll sing you to sleep, and I'll sing till tomorrow, and I'll bless you with love for the road as you go," she sang as she gestured for them to make their move and jump if they were going to.

They all jumped and slid down a long hole that had something soft and springy on the ground.

As they sat there catching their breath Hermione gasped as she looked up at Serenity who was slowly being covered by the strange plants that were pulling her down. Serenity had spent so much time reading and studying that she knew in an instant what they were caught in and relaxed her body letting it take her down. Once down on the ground she could hear the others begin to scream for her and fight against the plants. She placed her wand up to her neck and called out to Hermione. "Hermione, its devil's snare, we learned about it in Herbology, remember," she called up hoping that someone would hear her. Minutes later Hermione and Harry fell through the plants and Ron started to panic. Hermione flicked her wand and light flooded the room making the plant release Ron from its grip.

"Serenity I didn't know that you could speak let alone sing like that," said Ron as he landed on his backside.

"I have many hidden talents Ron, you'd know that if you ever took the time to get to know me instead of judging me like you do the rest of my housemates," said Serenity with a scowl before she removed her wand from her neck.

"Sorry, I'm misjudged you. You really do have a nice voice for singing, it's too bad that you can't do it without using your wand," he said sadly.

"Don't worry yourself over it Ron, I've been dealing with it all year ever since I learned the spell," she said as she followed her brother down the corridor.

After Harry got chased by thousands of keys to catch the one that would open their way into the next room they came upon a larger than life sized chess board. They tried to walk across it when suddenly their way was blocked by the white chess men on the other side. "It looks like we've got to play our way across," said Ron thinking on a strategy.

"Okay Harry you take the place of that bishop over there, Hermione you take the queen side castle, and Serenity you take the place of the other bishop," ordered Ron as he stepped onto the chess board and watched as the chess pieces moved to make a spot for his friends.

"What place are you going to take, Ron," asked Serenity looking around nervously?

"I'll be a knight, "said Ron.

"Ron, you don't think that this is going to be like real wizard's chess do you," asked Hermione? Ron ordered a pawn to move up to where the white pawn could take it, and gave his friends a horror filled look.

"Yes, I'd say that it's exactly like wizard's chess," he said as he and the others gulped down the knots that had formed in their throats. They played their way across the board until they were left with only one choice.

Ron was forced to sacrifice himself and Hermione screamed when he fell. She was about to move from her square to run and help Ron, when Serenity's voice popped urgently into her head. _"Hermione, stop, if you move now the game will go on until it's done to just the three of us with no backup. Harry take the king, put him into check_," said Serenity.

Harry nodded and took his move. The white king dropped his sword and the white pieces moved aside letting them pass. "He's hurt pretty badly, you'd better take him back, we'll stop Snape," said Harry placing a hand on his sister's shoulder.

"Be careful you two," said Hermione as Harry and Serenity entered the next room alone.

As they crossed into the next room they found that their path was blocked from both directions by fire. There was a small table full of vials of various shape and size and a note laying on the edge of the table in Snape's familiar handwriting. Serenity picked up the note and read over it carefully before she walked around the table in thought.

"Serenity, what is it," asked Harry?

_"__To think that you've been accusing my head of house of trying to steal this stone thing this whole time. If Professor Snape had wanted to steal that stone thing, he wouldn't have contributed to its protection," _she said in his head as she examined the vials of liquid very carefully. She reached out for a bottle and examined it more closely then nodded and drank half of it before handing the other half to her brother.

"Serenity are you nuts, it could have been poison," screeched Harry in horror after reading the note?

"_It's not, trust me, if there's one thing I know really well, its potions. Drink this and you'll be able to pass through those flames to the next room. Don't you trust me Harry,"_ she asked handing him the bottle?

"Yes," he said before gulping down the rest of the potion and grasping her hand tightly as they walked together through the flames.

As they entered the last chamber together Harry and Serenity's scar's started to hurt severely. They saw professor Quirrel standing before the mirror of Ariset. He noticed the twins in the reflection and turned to greet them. "You, it can't be you, Snape," started Harry as Serenity rolled her eyes and shook her head.

_"__I told you that it wasn't Professor Snape,"_ she said in his head as she grasped her throat and winced in pain.

"Your sister is correct; it was me who attacked you that day on the quiddich pitch. Though Snape does seem the type to do such a thing, he was actually attempting to protect you, muttering that counter spell frantically. I would have killed you then if not for your medaling friend setting his robes on fire and distracting me," snarled Quirrel.

"You were the one who let in that troll," said Harry boldly.

"Yes, but only Snape realized what I was up to, and while the others were busy in the dungeons he followed me. He never trusted me again, and never left me alone. He doesn't understand, I'm never truly alone," said Quirrel with a wicked smile on his lips. The pain in Serenity's neck seemed to double and she grabbed Harry's shoulder as tears of pain rolled down her cheeks.

"Now tell me boy, what does this mirror do? I seem what I desire. I see myself holding the Coercer's stone, but how do I get it," asked Quirrel?

"Use the twins, you fool," came a hoarse voice from somewhere in the room. Serenity and Harry held onto each other's hands tightly so that they wouldn't be separated.

"Come here both of you now, and tell me what you see," shouted Quirrel. Harry and Serenity walked closer to the mirror and looked into its reflective surface together.

As they looked into the mirror they saw Harry's reflection hold up a large red stone, and show it to them before slipping it into the pocket of the reflection of his sister's robes. Serenity instantly felt the weight of the stone in her robe pocket and inched closer to her brother fearfully.

"What do you see," asked Quirrel?

"I'm shaking hands with Professor Dumbledore. I've just won the house cup," laid Harry.

"Tell the truth, boy," screamed Quirrel angrily making Serenity gasp in pain as her throat now felt like it was being ripped out!

"Let me speak to the boy, I have strength enough for this," said the hoarse voice.

"Yes master," said Quirrel as he unwrapped his turban. Harry and Serenity stepped back at the horrendous sight of another face on the back of Quirrel's head.

"Harry and Serenity Potter, we meet again," said the face.

"_It's, Voldemort," _gasped Serenity in Harry's head as her throat tightened uncomfortably.

"You're Voldemort," said Harry placing himself between the evil one and his sister.

"Yes, I am Voldemort. You see now what I have become because of you and your sister. You've seen what I am forced to do to survive in this retched state," said Voldemort as he stepped closer to the twins.

"Unicorn blood can only sustain me for short periods of time, but there is something in your sister's pocket that can make me live again in my own body," said Voldemort. Serenity and Harry started to run but with a snap of Quirrel's fingers on Voldemort's orders they were surrounded by flames. "You and your sister don't have to die, give me the stone and join me. Together we can rule the world," said Voldemort as he held out his hand toward the twins.

"_I'd rather die than join him, Harry we must keep the stone away from him,"_ said Serenity's urgent voice in his head.

"We'll never join you," shouted Harry.

"How touching, your parents said the same thing before they died. Together we can bring them back. We will be the most powerful in the world. All I ask from the two of you is that you give me the stone," hissed Voldemort.

"You're a liar and we'll never give the stone to you," screamed Harry as he drew his wand to defend his sister.

"Get the girl; it is she who has the stone. Kill her," ordered Voldemort. Quirrel leapt into the air and flew across the room pinning Serenity to the ground and locking his hands around her throat choking the life out of her. She clasped the stone in her hand and snapped her arm close to her body so that Quirrel couldn't get to the stone.

Harry leapt at Quirrel and grabbed his head from behind making him let go of his sister and scream in agony. Serenity weakly raised her head from the floor and left the stone in her pocket as she too grasped ahold of Voldemort who was now going mad with the combined pain of the twins touching him. Before their eyes he evaporated into nothing but dust.

Serenity walked over to her brother and looked down at the clothing that once belonged to Quirrel, before pulling the stone out of her pocket and handing it to Harry. Just as the stone touched his hand Voldemort's spirit arose from the dust and tried to attack both of them. Serenity's mouth was open wide as she and her brother screamed in fear and pain as they collapsed to the ground landing hard on the floor with the stone clasped in their joined hands.

A few days later Serenity was talking in the entrance hall with Ron and Hermione mentally when Harry was finally released from the hospital wing. "Ron, Hermione, Serenity are you alright," he asked as he approached them?

"I'm fine, mate," said Ron.

"I've never been better," said Hermione.

_"__I'll live,"_ said Serenity laughing softly in their heads.

"Sis, how did you get released before I did," asked Harry?

"_Apparently I wasn't hurt as badly as you. I was given a pepper-up potion, and a pain potion, and stayed in the hospital wing for a day before I was released to return to my dorm_," she said in his head so that only he could hear her. Draco walked out of the corridor to the dungeons and called to Serenity. "_I'll see you later, Harry, my friends are waiting for me,"_ she said as she turned and walked calmly over to Draco and the other Slytherin's

As the end of year feast come to an end later that night Serenity started to realize that she and her brother would regrettably have to return to the home of the Dursley's. She was so distraught over it that she awoke screaming with tears running down her face, and ran to Professor Snape's office to confide in him and ask his advice on how to handle her situation.

As she thought back on the year she recalled how he had treated her as if she was his very own child. It may not have been obvious to everyone around them but she knew that he cared for her wellbeing and safety. She was about to knock on the door, but the thought of disturbing his sleep or whatever professor's did after hours made her lower her hand and turn away from the door. She turned away and was about to return to her dorm when a firm yet gentle hand grasped her shoulder from behind.

"If you wish to speak with me, then you should at least knock and wait until I open the door Miss Potter," said the silky smooth voice of her head of house. Tears filled her eyes and she abruptly turned and rushed into his chest locking her arms around his waist as she sobbed uncontrollably. Severus paused for a moment not sure on what to do with his hands before he felt her shaking and wrapped her in his arms as he led her into his office.

He sat her in the chair that he usually occupied in his office and knelt to look into her tear filled green eyes. "Come now, surely you haven't grown to love school so much that it warrant's your tears," he said as he offered her his handkerchief? "Calm yourself and tell me what's gotten you so distressed," he coaxed in a soft voice.

Serenity took a deep breath and looked up at her head of house with a fearful expression on her face. Then she placed the tip of her wand to her neck and her lip tremble with fear over what she was about to confide to the only person that she trusted more than even her own brother. "Professor, I don't want to go back to stay with my aunt and uncle. They, they," she began as she tried not to lose control again.

"What do they do to you and your brother, Serenity," asked Severus softly?

"They make us do all of their chores, and they don't feed us hardly anything at all, and if they even think that we've done something wrong, or if we don't finish the chores or if we refuse to do something that they want us to do they lock us in a closet and make us go for up to a week at a time with no food at all."

"What else do they do, princess? I know that they hurt you, but if you don't tell me, I can't help you," said Severus gently cupping her chin as her tears started flowing more and more rapidly.

"Professor Uncle Vernon beats me until I'm black and blue and bleeding. He lets my cousin Dudley and his friends do horrible dirty things, that hurt me and they hold me down on the floor or wherever I am when they catch me." Sobbed Serenity before she shakily lost control of the spell that allowed her to speak and sobbed even harder.

Severus got up and pulled the hysterical sobbing girl into his arms and held her closely stroking her head and attempting to sooth her. "Serenity has your uncle Vernon ever touched you the way his son and his little friends have," he asked fearing the answer? She didn't look up she just nodded and shook harder gasping for air as she started to completely lose it.

Severus's worst fear had just came true when she nodded. At that moment he very much wanted to cast the killing curse on Vernon Dersley. He rocked with the hysterical girl in his arms and tried to calm her. "I'm sorry, Serenity, I should have never left you with them the first time. I could have stopped this from happening," he said as he lifted her into his strong arms and carried her into his personal living quarters.

He sat her down tenderly on his sofa and moved into the small kitchenette, to make her a strong cup of chamomile tea laced with a calming draught. He gave her the cup and then walked over to a small writing desk in the corner of his living room, and rummaged around in the top drawer. Finding what he was searching for he quickly rejoined her where she sat on the sofa and waited for her to finish the tea before he spoke again.

"Serenity, I want you to have this," he said as he placed a small silver charm bras let with a heart shaped locket on it around her right wrist. She sniffled and looked up at him with confusion.

"_Professor, what is this,"_ she asked noticing a slight warm tingle as he placed it around her wrist?

"It's a little safety precaution that I've created for you. If you ever find yourself in danger and you fear for your life, open the locket. A golem will take your place and you will instantly be transported to wherever I am, and I'll keep you safe," he said getting to his feet thoughtfully.

He knew that what he was proposing to do was against several wizarding laws in Great Brittan, but if he could at least save her from death it was worth the risk. He felt two small arms around his waist briefly then they released as she left his quarters through the door that led into his office to get some much needed Sleep.

**Chapter Seven Saving Serenity Will be next.**


	7. Chapter Seven Saving Serenity

**A/N my inspirational music that I listen to when I'm writing this story is called, 'A song for a stormy night by a group called Secret garden." Please note that this is another chapter that warrants the M rating. If you aren't of proper age to read violent situations then read no further skip to the next chapter. I say again, child abuse is a crime and must be stopped. Don't stand for it, don't support it, and report it when it is witnessed. You might save a life, you never know.**

**Chapter Seven Saving Serenity**

The next day despite the gift that Professor Snape had given her, Serenity still felt horrified about returning to the Dursley's. She sat beside the window watching as Hogwarts slipped from her view and the countryside slipped away. As Draco and the others entered the compartment she abruptly got to her feet and grabbed her trunk and Olly's cage and began to leave.

Serenity, where are you going," asked Draco gently placing a hand on her shoulder?

_"__Draco, I've been trying to speak to my brother all year long about something important and personal. I have to go and speak to him alone if I can,"_ she said with a frightened look on her face.

"You don't have to take your trunk or your owl, we'll look after them for you," offered Millicent.

"We're your friends, Serenity, if something's wrong, you can tell us and we'll help said Pansy.

"_Thanks you guys, but one angry wizard is more than I can face at a time. Just do me a favor please," _asked Serenity pleadingly?

"We'll do anything for you Serenity, you know that," said Draco placing a tender hand on her cheek making her look him in the eye.

"_If for some reason, I don't return to Hogwarts next year please take it easy on my brother," _she said as she handed Millicent her owl and left the compartment alone, leaving everyone with stunned expressions on their faces.

Draco pulled her trunk back to where it would be out of the way and plopped down with a worried expression on his face. "Why do you think she said that," asked Crabbe and Goyle in unison?

"I have no idea, but it's not good. We've seen her crying a lot lately haven't we Pansy," asked Millicent as she offered Olly an owl treat?

"I'll be back you guys, I'm going to see if I can find out what's going on," said Draco as he got up abruptly and left the compartment.

He had managed to get to the creature car when he heard Harry complaining about why they couldn't just talk in front of his friends. He hid behind a large pile of trunks and shrunk into the shadows as her magically amplified voice sounded angrily. "Harry please, I've been trying to talk to you about this all year, but we keep on getting disturbed and it's a private family matter. It's nobody else's business and I'd like to keep it that way," she said sitting down on a trunk on the other side of the pile that Draco was hiding behind.

"Sis is it that bad," asked Harry sitting beside her?

"Yes Harry it is worse than you think. You know how much uncle Vernon likes to beat me and to lock us away in the damned cupboard, but you didn't know exactly why I left the house that night that you couldn't find me. I feel that you need to know why I hid that night and why I'm debating on running away now," she said.

"Okay, I'm listening, what's going on that I don't know about," asked Harry?

Serenity sighted deeply before she spoke again. "Harry he has been raping me and allowing Dudley and his friends to rape me almost on a daily basis since I was eight years old. The only reason that I never ended up pregnant was because he'd beat me within an inch of my life afterwards," she blurted in one breath.

"What, How, Sis why didn't you tell me before now, I could have helped you," asked Harry attempting not to let his temper get the best of him?

"I was afraid of what they'd do to us if I said anything, please Harry we don't have anywhere else to go. Don't do anything stupid," pleaded Serenity crying.

"I should hex their balls off," snarled Harry echoing the thought that was running through Draco's mind at that exact moment.

"Harry, if we had somewhere else to go, I'd let you do it, just please, please don't do anything. Who knows what they'll do if you call them out on it," Serenity sobbed lowering her wand shakily?

"I promise, Sis, I won't let them hurt you again no matter what it costs me," said Harry as he pulled his silently sobbing sister into his arms. Serenity sobbed until she couldn't anymore then pulled away from her brother's embrace and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "_I'll meet you when the train stops in Kings Cross Station, I've got to spend a little more time with my friends,"_ she said with a watery smile as her brother kissed her cheek and left her standing there.

Harry left the creature car first, and then Serenity turned and walked the other way. Draco waited until the door on the other side had closed and followed Serenity catching up with her on the platform between the cars. "Serenity, wait," he called making her turn in shock.

"_Draco, what in Merlin's name are you doing? Were you spying on me and my brother? Oh god, please tell me that you didn't hear all of that, It's personal,"_ said her frightened voice in his head as he pulled her into his arms and hugged her close to him?

"I heard everything, Serenity; your brother isn't the only person who cares about you. I can help you if you'll only let me," he said as he gently made her look into his stormy eyes.

"_Draco, I'm sorry that I didn't confide in you, but there's nothing that you can do when I'm not around you at school. The muggles that I live with, oh god, I'd hate to think what they'd do," _she said as she shook all over with fear of the thoughts that popped into her head.

"If you are frightened of them than don't go home with them. You can come home with me. My family would happily take you and your brother in, in a heartbeat," he said as he wiped a tear from her cheek.

"_You're sweet Draco, but considering how you and my brother like to go at each other during school and the fact that all of your family are Slytherin's like we are, I don't think that they would make my brother as welcome as they would me. Thank you for the offer, but my brother and I need each other,"_ she said as she pulled him closer to her and placed a tender feather light kiss on his lips. Draco pulled her closer and deepened their kiss as the wind from the train swirled around them.

"I'd do anything for you Serenity," he said as he pulled away from her and helped her across to the other car and held the door open for her.

"_I know Draco, but all I can ask of you is what I said earlier. If for any reason I don't return to Hogwarts after summer's over please don't harass my brother,_" she said in his mind as they walked back to their compartment.

"I'll try," said Draco with a smile as he held open the door of the compartment for her.

"_Please don't tell them what you've heard Draco. I don't want their pity,"_ came her voice again as she passed him and took her seat beside the window again. Draco's eyes went as hard as stone before he entered. He'd make an unbreakable vow to her if he had to. He wouldn't break his promise to her if it meant his life.

Hours later as the train drew into the station and they crossed through the barrier between the magical and muggle worlds Draco gave the waiting muggle's a dirty look as his father placed a hand on his shoulder. "Draco, why are you worried over a filthy mud-blood," asked his father as he looked at the muggles in disgust?

"Father those aren't mud-bloods, the Gryffindor is Harry Potter, and the Slytherin girl with him is his twin sister Serenity Potter. They are half-bloods, and Serenity is my friend," he said wishing that he could just hex the fat ugly muggle once and be done with it.

"Harry and Serenity Potter, I see," said Lucius smoothly with arched eyebrows as he watched the fat muggle snatch the trunk from Serenity's grasp almost knocking her over in his haste. "Why are you looking at the muggle as if you want to hex him," he asked curiously as Draco's eyes darkened in rage?

"I can't talk about it father, I promised Serenity that I wouldn't," said Draco as he watched the man slam the door of the car seconds after Serenity and Harry had gotten in.

Once the car stopped Serenity and Harry got out and took their trunks from the back of the car. Serenity looked around fearfully debating on if she should run or not when it happened. She held Olly's cage close to her chest and stood there rooted to the spot outside the house, when Vernon spun on her and snatched the cage out of her grasp slamming it against the house freeing the bird within.

He snarled, and grabbed Serenity by the arm attempting to force her into the house. The owl swooped down and attacked him clawing and pecking at his face with rage. Vernon pushed Serenity into the house and grasped the owl by the neck and swung it around with an audible snap that made Serenity lose it completely.

Before Harry or anyone else could blink she drew her wand and flicked it making him scream in pain and drop the lifeless owl on the floor. She was about to cast another spell when he quickly grasped her wrist and grabbed her wand snapping it over his knee in one quick movement. The brought his large fist into her face knocking her into the cupboard under the stairs and slamming the door, before locking it and spinning on Harry.

"Your stupid sister won't be returning to that school of freaks ever again. Unless you'd like to join her I'd suggest that you get your crap up to Dudley's second bedroom and stay up there if you know what's good for you," snarled Vernon as he removed his belt and stepped toward Harry menacingly. Harry backed toward the stairs fearfully dragging his trunk behind him as the large angry man lumbered toward him.

Once Harry had gotten his things up to the room that Dudley stored all of his broken things in, the door was slammed and locked behind him. He spun and banged on the door screaming for his sister with fear, and cursing like a sailor at Vernon through the door.

"Keep that up, and your sister will take your beatings for you," growled Vernon evilly as he pocketed the key. Harry quieted knowing that Vernon wasn't joking, and walked to the window and watched as the fat man dragged her trunk out onto the stone patio in the back yard and lit it on fire throwing the dead body of his sister's poor owl on the top as the fire raged burning everything to a cinder.

Later that night and for the next week after they had gotten home for the summer Harry tossed and turned hearing his sister's cries, and screams of pain and fear in his mind. He couldn't even send Hedwig for help because Vernon had placed a padlock on her cage so that it couldn't be opened. His aunt slid three meager meals a day under the small cat door at the bottom of his bedroom door, but he doubted that his sister was being treated with such concern. He wanted to cast a spell to free himself and his sister but the fear of being expelled stopped him from drawing his wand in her defense.

As her screams of pain sounded once again in his mind he threw his wand into his trunk and tried to cover his head with his pillow hoping that it would suffocate him so that he couldn't hear her anguished cries which were growing weaker and weaker each day. He pretended to be asleep when he finally heard the sounds of his uncle Vernon lumbering up the stairs to go to bed for the night.

He tried to reach out to his sister with his mind the way that she did to him, but he wasn't able to do it and it gave him a nasty headache. So he finally gave up and fell asleep crying over the fact that he was unable to help Serenity, unable to save her from her pain. As he finally found sleep around midnight a fait weak voice popped into his head. "_H-harry, I, I l-love you," _came Serenity's voice in his head for the last time.

In her weakened state, beaten, bloody, and bruised beyond recognition, Serenity slowly raised her wrist so that she could at last open the locket on the bracelet that her head of house had given to her. She closed her eyes as her wrist with the locket on it fell to the floor and the locket fell open. Her uncle had been relentless with her beating, and raping her brutally until he had gotten tired each day since his return. By the time that he was done with her each day she either had not strength to open the locket of was unconscious. Before she lost consciousness again, she sent one final message out to her brother mentally hoping that he would get it before the magic took her away.

The next morning Harry was let out of his room to do chores and just as he reached the bottom of the stairs he heard his uncle Vernon screaming at Serenity for her to wake up, and he heard his Ant Petunia's shrill scream of horror as her husband kicked the dead body in the floor of the cupboard.

"Vernon, stop she's dead, oh my god she's dead what are we going to do," she cried? Harry leapt down the last of the stairs and over the banister and threw himself between his sister and his enraged Uncle who was now being held back by Petunia and Dudley with horror filled expressions on their faces. Seeing that his uncle was unable to get passed his aunt and his cousin, he knelt on the blood soaked floor and pulled his sister's lifeless body into his arms and moved her blood soaked hair out of her face.

"Serenity, no, you can't leave me like this," he sobbed as he felt the cold stiffness of her lifeless body! He shook her gently begging her to wake up and sobbed harder when she didn't respond. Dudley turned with a saddened expression on his face and attempted to pull Harry away from his dead sister's body. "Harry, she's dead, you can't help her now," he said with a soft tone that he would use at someone's sick bed.

"Don't touch her you sick monster's. None of you touch my sister, this is your fault. You killed her, she was all that I had and you killed her you bastards," screamed Harry hysterically! Suddenly Harry's eyes fell on the phone in the hallway and he dropped his sister's lifeless body and got to his feet. He stepped out of the cupboard and was picking up the phone before they could say anything and started to dial 911.

Vernon yanked the phone cord out of the wall and grabbed Harry by the back of his shirt. "Oh no you don't boy, you're not calling anyone. You're going to get your ass out there and start digging a hole to burry your little slut sister in," he said as he pushed Harry out into the back garden and thrust a shovel into his hands.

"You won't get away with this, I'll tell the authorities the instant that I am able to leave this fucking house," snarled Harry as he started to dig.

"No, you won't boy, not unless you want to join her in that hole," spat Vernon as he slammed a shovel into the back of Harry's head knocking him out cold. He finished digging the hole and then threw the lifeless body into it, before covering it with garden lime and covering the hole back up placing a few potted flowers into the freshly covered hole and surrounding them with garden bricks to make it look like they had just made a new flower bed so that none of the neighbors would get curious.

Harry awoke three hours later with a throbbing head and the sound of a drill or screw gun whining away at his window. He got up and looked out to find his Uncle Vernon on a ladder putting bars on his window. "You're never going back to that freaky school with all of those freaky people again," said Vernon with an evil smirk on his face.

**Chapter Eight The Rebirth is up next.**


	8. Chapter Eight The Rebirth

**A/N the hospital named in this chapter looked old and cool in the picture when I researched French hospitals, and I thought that it would be a perfect wizarding hospital for this story. It is also the hospital where Princess Diana took her last breath. the memory of the lady that she was will live on in us forever. :)**

**Chapter Eight The Rebirth**

Once every student had left the school for the summer Severus traveled to his home in Spinner's End to gather up a few things, before leaving to visit his mother in her family home in France. Ever since she had finally divorced his muggle father, the Prince family had welcomed her back with open arms. As he packed a few extra things into his trunk and shrunk it to place into his pocket his thoughts wondered back to what Serenity Potter had confided in him.

He had told Headmaster Dumbledore about her confession, but he still said that without her memories of the events the Ministry wouldn't act. Feeling angry and wishing to hex the old man into oblivion Severus left before his tempter got the best of him. When he arrived at the Prince Family home in the country side of Paris France, his mother was over joyed to see him again.

She hugged him tightly before holding him at arm's length and looking into his none expressive eyes. "Severus, I know that look, what's wrong," she asked in a concerned tone?

"It's nothing that you can help mother. Headmaster Dumbledore is a fool. The Ministry is blind and heartless, and an innocent child and her brother have been abused for years and the girl may lose her life unless she is able to use the security precaution that I've given her," he said as he entered the house and poured himself a generous helping of fire whiskey.

"Merlin, Severus you've never shown such care for a student before, what makes this one so different," asked his mother as she sat beside him attempting to comfort him?

"Mother, the girl who's life is in danger is Lilly Evans's daughter, and she looks just like her mother. It's like losing Lilly all over again," he said as he drained his glass and poured himself another.

"Lilly, wasn't that your little friend back when you attended Hogwarts," asked his mother thoughtfully?

"yes, mother," he growled tiredly.

"What kind of precaution did you give the girl, Severus," asked his mother thoughtfully?

"I took a bit of her hair and a small sample of her blood to make a magical charm that when opened would make a golem, before transporting her wherever I am," admitted Severus fearing his mother's reaction.

"Severus, I'm ashamed of you for using dark magic again, but if it saves the child's life than it's worth it. I'll help in any way that I can," she said placing a loving hand on his shoulder.

A week passed and Severus got more and more worried for Serenity Potter's safety. He lay awake late one night in his bed debating on simply leaving and taking the Potter children from their family's home, when suddenly there was a bright flash of light that filled his dark room. He sat bold upright in his bed and flicked his wand making the lights turn on.

There laying on the floor covered in blood and bruises, was the almost lifeless body of Serenity Potter. The locket on her wrist was open and her breaths were uneven and shallow. He screamed for his mother, who rushed into his room and shrieked at the sight of the girl on the floor. She then sank to her knees and started chanting healing charms in an attempt to save the girl's life.

"Merlin, Severus this is bad, I'm not sure that we can do much for the child even with blood replenishing potions. All we can do is stabilize her and get her to Pitié-Salpetrière wizarding hospital," said Eileen as she continued to cast healing spells to stabilize the girl while Severus poured phial after phial of potion down her throat massaging her throat to make her swallow.

"Mother what will we tell them happened to her," he asked with a fearful expression in his eyes?

"Tell them half of the truth. Tell them that she is your niece, and that you rescued her from her abusive step father, and that you want custody of her," said Eileen as she tenderly wrapped the girl in a soft blanket to keep her from going into shock

"You should have been a Slytherin mother," said Severus as he gently lifted Serenity into his arms and followed his mother to her floo.

"I know the hat told me that when I was sorted but I decided to join Ravenclaw since everyone else in my family was in that house when they attended," she said with a smirk as she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the floo with her.

"Mother what will we say is her name, when they ask," asked Severus before she dropped the floo powder?

"We'll name her after my sister who died shortly after being born. We'll call her Renata Mignonette Prince," she said as she dropped the floo powder and spoke their destination.

Once they arrived at the hospital they were rushed into the emergency ward and French medi-witches and healers surrounded the girl. Severus and Eileen paced outside in the waiting room while they worked, until the head healer on duty came out into the waiting room and walked over to them. "Mr. Snape, Madam Prince, I am Healer Jean-Christophe Lefort," said the healer as he entered the room.

"How is my granddaughter," asked Eileen ringing her hands?

"I'm afraid that her condition is not good. Please tell me that her brute of a father has been imprisoned for what he did to the child," said the healer.

"Regrettably no, he ran when we showed up," said Severus with a nasty look on his face.

"I hate to say this but our blood replenishment potions are having little effect on her. She will need what the muggles call a blood transfusion from someone who has the same blood type as her otherwise she'll die," said the healer as he waved his wand over Severus and Eileen to check their blood type.

"A blood transfusion isn't that risky to use on witches and wizards," asked Eileen in shock?

"Yes Madam, Only if the one giving the blood is not magical as well. We have experimented with this and the only effect is that the more blood that is used may change the magical DNA of the witch or wizard receiving the transfusion. Since she is a member of your family I hardly think that it will matter if you are willing to go through with it, Mr. Snape. If not there is no hope for the child to survive," said healer Jean-Christophe Lefort grimly.

"I assume that you've addressed me because my blood is a proper match, so I'll do it, if there is a chance of saving my niece's life," said Severus as he followed the healer with his mother close behind them.

Severus entered the clean white room and took a seat beside Serenity and rolled up his right sleeve. The Healer transfigured the chair into a bed and they fed him blood replenishment potions as his blood drained from his body into hers. As the blood flowed her skin paled, her freckles vanished, and her hair started turning black. The healers scanned her progress and smiled as they disconnected Severus and Serenity from the blood transfusion system.

"Your niece will recover nicely now, she's reacting to the treatment. Let her rest and we'll get the paperwork from the French Ministry so that you can adopt her since I assume that you won't be letting her go back to her father," said the healer as he handed Severus a few potions to make him feel better from the letting of his blood and the taste of the blood replenisher.

For the next week Severus and Eileen stayed at her bedside waiting for her to wake up. Serenity awoke late one night and looked around fearfully. To her left sat a grey haired witch in navy blue robes with a gentle expression on her face. She sat up quickly noticing a change in the room, and leveled familiar obsidian eyes on the girl in the bed. She got to her feet and stretched before casting her patronus and sending a message to her son who had gone for coffee.

"Severus, she's awake," said the old woman as the silver owl flew from the room. "Relax dearest, you're safe now," she said as she poured Serenity a cold glass of water and held it to her lips. Serenity felt comforted by the old witch who apparently knew her professor Snape, so she reached out to her with her mind.

"_Who are you, where am I, and where is Professor Snape,"_ she questioned?

"I'm here princess. This is my mother and your new grandmother Lady Eileen Prince. In order to save your life, we had to use a procedure that changed your DNA. You are now related to my family by blood," said Severus as he entered the room and handed a cup of coffee to his mother.

Serenity raised a black eyebrow in confusion and was about to question her Professor and hero further when he sat beside her and took something from his pocket. Eileen handed Serenity a mirror and she gasped as she felt that her scar was now completely gone and ran her fingers through her hair that was now black except for one streak of red that covered her bangs and ran down one side of her face.

She tried to speak and found her normally soft whisper was a little louder, yet Lady Prince and Professor Snape still had to lean closer to hear her. "Wait I made this for you, it should allow you to speak normally without a wand, " said Severus as he leaned forward and gently tied an emerald green silk ribbon choker with the prince coat of arms set into a cameo just over her throat.

As the magic of the choker flowed over her she felt as if the sonorous charm was on her and smiled before trying to speak again. "Professor, you saved me just like you said that you would. Thank you," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him warmly.

"I always keep my promises, Princess, now you must listen to me very carefully. This is vital for your protection. Your new name is Renata Mignonette Prince; you are the Granddaughter of my mother Eileen Prince and my niece. We saved you from your abusive stepfather and you are now legally a member of our family. We'll discuss everything else once we get back to Prince Manor," said Severus as the Healer came in to check on his patient.

"Ah, Mr. Snape I see that not only is your lovely niece finally awake, but that you have given her the enchanted choker. Does it work," he asked curiously?

"Yes, sir, thankfully it works wonderfully. My uncle is a genius," said Renata happily.

"Well I'm very glad to see that, Mademoiselle Prince. Please sit still while I check you over," said the healer as he cast various diagnostic spells on her. "She's doing well as long as you make her take the prescribed potions for the next month or so, I think that we can release her to go home with you, later today when the sun comes up," said the healer.

Eileen left Renata and Severus while she went to see about getting her new granddaughter something to wear. She returned an hour later with several sets of girl's robes for Renata to choose from and smiled as she decided to wear a nice set of burgundy robes. Severus left the room so that she could change and returned when his mother poked her head out and waved him back inside. Renata was standing in front of the mirror admiring the way that the robes flattered her blossoming figure when her new uncle cleared his throat.

"You look beautiful Renata," he said as she turned to look at him.

"Thank you uncle Severus, how much longer before we can go home," she asked as Eileen twisted her long black hair into a French twist leaving her bangs free and making her red streak curl nicely?

"Soon princess, on our way home we'll stop and buy you a new wand to replace your old one," said Severus as she hugged him happily.

* * *

**Renata **

**First name origins & meanings:**

Latin: Reborn

French: Born again

**Mignonette **

**First name origin & meaning:**

French: Dainty; petite; delicate; graceful

**Chapter Nine New Life will be next.**


	9. Chapter Nine New Life

**A/N here's another chapter for you to enjoy.**

**Chapter Nine New Life**

Once Renata was released from the hospital, her new uncle and grandmother took her to an old shop window in the heart of Paris to purchase a new wand. As they passed through the plate glass window the street of Wizarding France opened before them. Unlike Diagon Alley in London, the streets were wider and the shops were more refined and elegant in their style.

Their first stop was to Madam Revelry's wand shop to purchase a new wand since her old one had been destroyed. Madam Revelry waved her wand over the girl and took a slip of parchment that came from the tip and read it carefully before walking into the back to get a few wands to try. She returned with six boxes. "Your last wand was cherry, thirteen inches, with a core of Phoenix feather. We regrettably do not 'ave zat kind of wand care in zis country, so perhaps you could try one of zese," she said as she placed the boxes in a line and opened the lids. "Place your 'and over ze wand, and we shall soon find ze wand zat is right for you," she said as she waited patiently.

Renata placed her hand over the wands one at a time until she came to the last box. Before her hand could move over it the wand flew up into her open hand and it's magic flooded into her body making her feel warm all over. "Very good, your new wand, iz, made of ze wood of ze willow tree, fourteen inches long, with a core of Vela and black Unicorn. It iz a rare wand, zat was made years ago by my father, and iz very powerful. It will never be obedient to anyone but you, and is guaranteed not to break unless you are dead," said Madam Revelry with a smile.

Severus paid for the wand and bought her a new wrist scabbard to carry it safely. The scabbard was charmed to become invisible and to render the wand invisible unless it was needed by its owner. As they exited the wand shop they saw Eileen speaking in French to an extremely tall woman who looked like she was at least half giant. On seeing her granddaughter and her son, she waved them over to make introductions.

"Madam Maxine, this is my granddaughter Renata Mignonette Prince my son, her uncle, Severus Snape," she said as the two approached.

"What a lovely young lady, you say zat she 'as been home schooled in magie, is zat correct," asked the large woman?

"Yes, Madam, my niece is quite talented with nonverbal spells, and potions. She can perform spells that I've seen older student at Hogwarts have trouble with," said Severus proudly.

"Zat is very good, Madam Prince bring 'er by ze school tomorrow morning, and we shall administer ze placement test. We will ensure zat she iz placed in the proper grade level based on 'er knowledge. I look forward to 'aving you among my students, young lady," said Madam Maxine as she bid them good-bye and hurried on her way.

"Well, you'll be attending Beauxbatons Academy of Magic next term regardless of how you do on the placement test, so we should go ahead and get your school supplies," said Eileen with a smile on her face.

"So, I won't be going back to Hogwarts," asked Renata sadly?

"No, it's for your own safety, Princess. Harry by now thinks that you are dead, and soon the wizarding world will know. I know that it's going to hurt to do this, but you may not contact Harry or any of your old friends from Hogwarts. I will keep an eye on them for you, and you may write to me, and ask about them any time that you'd like," said Severus placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Renata hung her head sadly, before speaking again. "My brother, my friends, I'll be all alone here," she said softly trying not to cry over it.

"No you won't dear, you'll have me. You can even come to me when you are at school because I work there as the charms mistress," said Eileen hoping to make her granddaughter feel better.

"I'll come and visit you when I get the chance during the summers as well," said Severus as he stopped outside of the robe shop and held the door open for the two witches to enter.

"Don't worry Renata, you'll make loads of new friends at Beauxbatons," said Eileen as they entered the shop.

"I'll go and get the other things that you'll need, we'll get your books after your placement test tomorrow," said Severus wishing to get as far as he could from the shop full of witches.

"We'll meet you at Renaldi's when we're done," said Eileen shooing Severus from the shop. "Come on dear, we need to get you fitted for your new school robes," said Eileen with a gentle smile on her face.

"Bonjour Madam Prince, it iz a pleasure to zee you out of ze school. 'Oo iz your lovely companion," asked Fleur Delacour sweetly?

"Oh, hello Fleur, this is my granddaughter Renata Mignonette Prince. She'll be attending school with you and your sister next term," said Eileen placing her hands on Renata's shoulders in a motherly fashion.

"Really, zen please allow me to elp her find a properly fitting set of robes," said Fleur as she held out her hand to the new girl and hopeful friend.

"You go on Renata, I'll just be over here getting a few other things for you," said Eileen as she gently pushed her granddaughter toward the friendly girl. Renata placed her hand into Fleur's tentatively and allowed her to lead her to the right place in the shop.

"Did you know zat your name means zat you are born again and graceful," asked Fleur as she led her over to where her younger sister was also getting fitted for her new school robes?

"No, I didn't, I only understand a little French that I was taught by a few of my old friends," admitted Renata.

"Zat iz okay, my sister and I will be glad to teach you more. Look Gabriel, we 'ave a new friend 'oo will be joining us at Beauxbaton's. Zis is Madam Prince's granddaughter, Renata Mignonette Prince," she said as a sales-witch gestured for Renata to step up onto a platform for measurement.

"It iz a pleasure to meet you, perhaps we can all be friends," asked Gabriel?

"I'd like that very much," said Renata as the magical tape measure zipped around her taking various measurements.

Eileen looked up from her shopping to see Renata laughing happily with Fleur and her little sister, and smiled as Severus quietly crept into the shop with his loaded down shopping bags. "Honestly Severus, you and I both know that Renata doesn't need all of that," she said giving his bags a look.

"I couldn't help it mother, they had a few rare potion ingredients that are hard to find in Brittan," he said smiling at Renata who was now modeling her new powder blue school robes for her friends. "She seems happier," he said with a nod in her direction.

"Yes, isn't it amazing what meeting the right people will do for a young ladies confidence,' said Eileen as she carried another arm load of robes to the counter.

The next day Renata awoke very early, Showered, brushed her hair and teeth, and dressed into a set of her new school robes out of respect for her new headmistress on Fleur's advice. Before leaving her room she gently stroked the head of her new black horned owl Nightshade lovingly. "Wish me luck boy," she said as she scratched him gently in his favorite spot making him hoot happily and click his beak in a talkative manner.

She rushed into the kitchen despite the protests of the house elves. "Good morning Mix, Winx, Stir, and Pop," she said greeting the elves happily.

"Can we 'elp ze mistress," asked Winx with large eyes?

"I'd like to help you make breakfast for Grandmother and Uncle Severus, if I may," she said looking around the kitchen with eager eyes.

"Oh, no, Mistress it is not fit for a young lady to cook. It's our job," said Pop wagging a long finger at her.

"Well since you won't let me cook, may I at least make a request for breakfast," asked Renata not wishing to anger the house elves?

"Of course mistress may make a breakfast request. We house elves live to serve," said Mix happily nodding his head making his large ears flap.

"Yes Mistress what would you like us to prepare for the family's breakfast," asked Sir?

"I'd like a French omelet, with crisp bacon, and buttered toast for everyone to eat, and black coffee for Uncle Severus, hot mint tea for grandmother, and chilled apple juice for myself," said Renata as she collected three silver platters and placed a vase with a single red rose in each one.

An hour later she accompanied her grandmother to Beauxbatons Castle to take her placement test and have an orientation and tour. As they approached the massive golden gates of the school in the heart of the Pyrenees mountains Eileen drew her wand and waved it in a complicated manner unlocking the gates. As they entered the school grounds Renata looked around her and took in the splendor of her new school. Beauxbatons Academy was three times the size, splendor and beauty of Hogwarts, surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains magically created out of the surrounding mountains.

There were lovely flowering trees all around the grounds with white marble picnic tables and seats where students could sit, if they so choose and a large arched walkway that went over a cobbled stone driveway that led from the front gates to what looked like a lavish stable yard with a powder blue coach with the school crest on the door.

As they walked toward the main entrance of the school, there was a loud crash and a shrill neigh, followed by frightened screams of several male voices. A large white Abraban stallion with wild black eyes and blue feathered wings came running under the arch way toward Eileen and Serenity. Before Madame Maxine could get to it, the stallion came to a sliding stop and reared sharply over Renata's head pawing the air wildly.

Eileen backed up in fear, but Renata stood her ground and slowly stretched out her hand and stepped toward the massive angry winged horse allowing him to sniff her. The air from his large nostrils moved her hair and he lowered his head and allowed her to stroke his face tenderly. She grasped the end of the broken leather lead, and gave it a light tug turning him back in the direction that he had come.

Madame Maxine clapped and gave her a slight nod as she gestured toward the stables that the stallion had come from. "Zat is amazing, miss Prince. I've never zeen one of my 'orses respond to anyone in zat manner before. You 'ave a gift, which we must encourage and nurture. Your grandmother and I shall wait for you. Please go and put 'iim back into iiz stable," said the headmistress as she pointed to an open stall within the stables.

"Your granddaughter 'az a gift. Iz zis ze first time zat she 'az ever 'handled a winged 'orse," asked Madame Maxine as she watched Renata lead the stallion into his stall and pour him a generous helping of single malt whiskey before latching his stall door securely?

"That I am aware of headmistress, this is her first experience with any kind of large animal," said Eileen as Renata rejoined them.

"Very well, let's go up to my office and you may take your placement test there," said the headmistress as she placed a tender hand on Renata's shoulder and guided her into the school.

Two hours later found the placement test completed with outstanding results. Renata was handed a second year supply list, and a magic charm bracelet with the school crest on it in powder blue and gold, and a lovely jeweled key that would act as a port key and transport her instantly to the school with a few choice words in French, and would reveal the school and allow her to pass through the gates.

She was given the grand tour, and was shown where each of the classrooms were located, as well as the lavishly comfortable and ornate dining hall, and her private suit of rooms. She entered her assigned room and looked around in shock. "Madame Maxine is all of this truly my very own rooms," she asked as she walked to the very full bookshelf and ran her finger along the titles?

"Yes it iz ma flaʊr. You will never 'ave to go to ze library with zat bookshelf. If you wish to read, all you 'ave to do is to place your 'and on ze shelf and ask it to give you ze book that you desire to read," said the headmistress with a smile.

"This is going to be wonderful, I love to read," said Renata with a happy smile on her face. Madame Maxine walked to the shelf and placed her hand on it. A thick leather bound book with gold lettering appeared under her hand.

" 'ere, I wish for you to 'ave zis. Since you show such a gift with ze winged 'orses, it will teach you all zat you need to know about zem," she said as she handed the thick book over to Renata. She opened the book and noticed a handwritten note in the top left corner of the first blank page, and read it to herself.

_'To madameuzel Renata Mignonette Prince, I learned everything that I know about all breeds of flying horses from this book. It is yours to keep and learn from. One day perhaps you will find someone who has the passion and gift with winged horses that you displayed earlier today and pass it on along with the knowledge. Welcome to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. Signed your Headmistress, Madame Olympe Maxine.'_

Renata closed the book and held it close to her body with a smile on her face. "Thank you headmistress, it's an amazing gift. I'll take very good care of it and will treasure it and the knowledge that you are passing down to me," said Renata with a respectful little curtsy and a slight bow of her head.

**A/N Thanks for reading, ****Chapter Ten Sad Tidings and A Tough Choice ****will be next.**


	10. Chapter Ten Sad Tidings and A Tough Cho

**A/N Here's another chapter for your reading enjoyment. A guest left a question about a blood transfusion that saved the life of Serenity / Renata. It is in my imagination that because of blood replenishing potions that Wizards and witches do not need to use muggle medicines and treatments. In my world when a witch or wizard gives thier blood to another witch or wizard, especially in young witches or wizards it is best that they are of blood relation becausd the blood of one who is not biologically related to them will change their DNA. So to answer your question Renata/Serenity is now biologically Severus's daughter because she now shares his DNA. She calls him uncle Severus for her protection but she thinks of him as the father that she always needed and respects him as such. I hope that this answers your question. Pm me if you are confused on anything else. :)**

**Chapter Ten Sad Tidings and A Tough Choice.**

For the rest of the summer Renata spent her time either reading or visiting her new friends Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour. At summer's end she traveled to school with her friends since her adopted uncle and grandmother had to be at school two days before the students arrived to make sure that everything was ready for the next year.

Back in England aside from being continually depressed over the loss of his sister, Harry was having his own problems. It was a week before if he was lucky he would be returning to school. He was feeling very alone. As if his sister's death wasn't enough, he had not received a single letter from his friends the entire summer. He sat alone in his room sadly flipping through an album with magical moving pictures of his family and friends in it.

His hand shook as he ran a hand over a moving picture of his sister who was peeking at him over one of her books as she read by the black lake. Tears started to flow again as Hedwig hooted softly and clicked her beak pleadingly. "I can't let you out, Hedwig. I'm not allowed to use magic outside of school or I'll get expelled. If I couldn't even manage to take the risk to save my sister than you know that I can't do it for you," he said wiping his eyes.

Vernon's loud voice called his name from downstairs and he snapped his album closed and trudged downstairs to see what the murders wanted. "You called me Uncle Vernon," he mumbled dejectedly?

"I'm warning you now boy, if you can't control that ruddy bird it will have to go," snapped Vernon as he adjusted Dudley's tie for him.

"Uncle Vernon, she's just board. If I could just let her out for an hour or two each day," started Harry before he was cut off.

"So you can send secret messages to your freaky friends? I don't think so." snapped Vernon as he finished Dudley's tie.

"But I haven't had any letters from my friends all summer." said Harry sadly.

"Who'd want to be friends with you?" asked Dudley in a snarky tone as he pushed passed Harry and tried to pick a cherry off of the lavish pudding that his mother had prepared. Vernon then turned to Harry.

"You should be a little more grateful to us boy. We've given you a home and raised you since you were a baby, gave you the food off of our table, and even gave you Dudley's spare bedroom purely out of the goodness of our hearts." said Vernon in a fake tone that would make people who didn't know him believe that he really cared for Harry.

"Not yet Dudder's it's for when the Mason's arrive." Said Petunia as she swatted his chubby hand away from the confection.

"Right, they should be here any moment now. This should well be the biggest night of my career. Let's go through it once more before they arrive. Dudley when the Mason's arrive you," started Vernon expectantly.

"I'll be at the front door waiting to take their coats," said Dudley pompously.

"Petunia?" he asked expectantly.

"I'll be waiting here in the parlor waiting to greet our guest to our lovely home." said Petunia in a swooning tone.

"And you Harry," started Vernon turning to Harry and leveling his beady eyes on the boy.

"I'll be in my room making no noise and pretending that I don't exist." said Harry.

"Too right you will boy. With any luck this will be the day that I make the biggest deal of my entire career and you will not mess it up for me." said Vernon wagging his fat finger at Harry.

Harry turned and went upstairs Just as the doorbell ring and he heard the Dursley's greet their guests. He entered his room and found a strange little creature jumping happily on his bed. The strange creature stopped jumping on his bed as he entered the room and greeted him in an awestruck tone.

"Harry Potter, such an honor it is to meet you." said the creature with a bow.

"Who are you?" asked Harry in a shocked tone.

"Dobby sir, Dobby the house elf." said Dobby bowing again with wide eyes.

"Not to be rude, but this isn't exactly the best time for me to have a house elf in my bedroom." said Harry stepping closer to the bed.

"Oh Dobby understands sir, but Dobby has to tell Harry Potter and his sister something vitally important. He wonders where to begin." said Dobby shaking his head.

Harry sighed and tried not to cry on Dobby's mention of his sister and took a seat on his desk chair before speaking again. "Dobby please sit down." said Harry in a somber tone. Dobby's eyes widened in shock and he started to shake.

"Sit down, sit down, Dobby has heard of Harry Potter's greatness but never has he ever been asked to sit down with a wizard like an equal." said Dobby starting to cry.

"You must have not met too many kind wizards before then." said Harry attempting to calm the house elf.

"Oh no, sir I haven't. Oh dear that was an awful thing to say. Bad Dobby, bad Dobby, bad Dobby, bad Dobby, bad, bad." said the elf as he started to pound his head against Harry's dresser in distress over what he had said.

Fearing that his Uncle would hear the elf and totally lose it or worse, Harry tried to calm the elf and make him stop. "No Dobby, please stop, please don't do that," he pleaded with the elf as he picked him up from the floor and placed him on the edge of his bed. "You can't let my Aunt and Uncle find you here. Merlin knows what they'd do," said Harry soothingly praying that his uncle didn't come up to see what was going on.

"Dobby is sorry sir, but he had to punish himself because he almost spoke ill of the wizarding family that he serves." explained Dobby rubbing his sore head. "Harry Potter and Serenity Potter must not go back to Hogwarts school this year. There is a plot, a plot to do horrible things." started Dobby before noticing that Serenity was not with her brother, or hadn't joined them.

"Wait a minute sir. Dobby wonders where is Harry Potter's sister Serenity Potter?" asked the elf as he leapt from the bed and looked under it to see if she were hiding there. "Does she have her own room? You should go and get her because I need to speak with both of you." said Dobby turning to look at Harry with concern in his large eyes.

Harry broke down and started sobbing uncontrollably this time unable to hold in his feelings for his sister. Dobby ran over to him and dabbed at his tear streaked face with the end of his dirty old tunic. "Why is Harry Potter crying? Please Harry Potter, what's wrong that you is crying?" asked Dobby as he gently tilted Harry's face to make the boy look at him.

"Dobby, I don't know how to say this, but m-may sister is dead. My uncle Vernon killed her two weeks after we got home for the summer. She didn't even get a decent burial instead they buried her out in the back garden like she was nothing more than a dead dog. I don't have anyone here that loves me and I'm getting starved and beaten anytime that I do anything that makes them angry. I have to go back to Hogwarts." said Harry getting to his feet and pointing out his window to the small flower garden that lay in the center of the back yard as he shook with rage. Dobby leapt up and stood on top of Harry's desk by the window and looked to where Harry was pointing with sad tear filled eyes.

"A crime it is to cut short the life of such a gifted young witch." said Dobby mournfully. "Oh no, no, no, no shame on Dobby. Dobby is a bad elf, a very bed elf indeed." said Dobby with drooped ears. Sensing that Dobby was about to grab his lamp and punish himself again Harry grabbed him and pulled him away not wishing to have him make any more loud noises, but it was too late Vernon had heard the noises and came upstairs to confront Harry about it.

On hearing his uncle's angry pounding footsteps coming closer to his room Harry tossed Dobby haphazardly into his closet. "Stay in there and don't make a single noise that's an order!" he snapped as he shut the door closed just as Vernon burst through his door. "What are you doing in here? You've ruined the punchline of my Chinese golfer joke. One more peep out of you, just one and you'll join your sister in the back garden. Fix that door." said Vernon as he turned away just as Harry pushed the closet door closed for the third time attempting to keep Dobby from being seen or escaping.

"Yes sir." said Harry as he waited for the door to shut and his uncle to leave before letting the elf out.

Dobby came out of the closet and stood before Harry in shame with his ears drooped and sad eyes. "Do you see now why I have to go back to Hogwarts? It's the only place where I belong, where I've got friends and people who care about me. You heard him, He will not hesitate to kill me and bury me out in the yard with my dead sister." said Harry attempting to make Dobby see reason.

"You'd rather go back to be with friends who don't even care enough to right to Harry and his sister?" asked Dobby in shock.

"Wait a minute how did you know about that?" asked Harry in shock with a suspicious look in his green eyes. Dobby backed up so that he'd be out of Harry's grasp shaking slightly.

"You mustn't be angry with Dobby sir. Dobby thought that if Harry and Serenity Potter thought that their friends had forgotten them that they wouldn't want to go back to school. He never dreamed that the lack of the letters would cause Harry and Serenity so much pain. Dobby will do anything to make it up to Harry Potter." said Dobby as he cautiously handed over the large bundle of letters to Harry.

"Would you truly do anything to make up for this?" asked Harry attempting to suppress his anger.

""Yes sir, Dobby will do anything that is within his powers to make it up to Harry Potter." said Dobby nodding making his large ears flap. Harry wrenched open his trunk and took out a piece of parchment and the self-inking quill that his sister had gotten for him as a late birthday gift before their first trip on the Hogwarts express and hastily scribbled down a note and handed it over to Dobby.

"Dobby, you're too late to save my sister but you just might be able to save me. Please take this letter to my friend Ron Weasley at his home in the burrow. I'd send it with my owl but I can't use my magic outside of school to let her lose and my uncle put that lock on her cage." said Harry with large pleading eyes.

"Dobby will do it sir." said Dobby as he took the letter and popped from the room.

For the rest of that night Harry stayed up reading the letters that his friends had sent to him quietly. He skimmed through his sister's letters and pulled out the ones that had been written by Hermione and Ron to return to them. The letters were addressed to her and despite that fact that she was dead he didn't feel right reading words that were meant for her eyes.

He placed them into the bottom of his trunk and vowed to see that all of her letters were returned to the friends who had written to her. He knew that considering how much they all cared for her that many of them would be heart broken when they learned of her loss, and drifted off into a restless sleep that was filled with very vivid dreams of his sister the way that she used to be.

Hours passed and soon he awoke to the sound of a car that seemed to be right outside of his window, thought it was impossible since he was on the second floor and his window didn't face the street. He sat up and blinked sleepily as the beams of headlights flashed across his room and a flying car pulled up beside his window.

He put on his glasses and gasped as he saw three familiar faces just outside his window. "Ron, Fred, George you got my message?" he said getting a bit happier.

"Yeah mate, best get your trunk and Hedwig's cage while we get rid of these bars on your window." said George as he tied a thick piece of rope around the bars of the window. Harry did as he was told and cringed as the bars crashed to the ground making a loud banging noise that woke the entire house.

"Hurry, their coming!" said Harry as he tossed his trunk into the boot of the car which shut itself and belched with satisfaction as Fred moved the car back into a position that would allow Harry to get in. The lock of the bedroom door rattled as Vernon's yells came closer and closer. Vernon burst through the door just as Harry had handed Ron his owl and rushed toward him.

"Oh no you don't boy, you're not going anywhere." he snarled angrily as he leapt for Harry managing to grab his foot.

George and Ron held tightly to Harry attempting to pull him from the window faster as they heard Harry scream in fear. "Fred, floor it! We can't leave Harry here with these horrid muggles!" screamed Ron as Fred nodded and pressed his foot down on the accelerator dragging Vernon out of the window along with Harry as he did.

The last thing that they heard was Vernon's horror filled scream as he let go of Harry's leg and fell head first into a large rose bush in the back yard and the shocked screeches of Harry's aunt as she looked out of the window down at her enraged husband. "You'll be back boy and when you do come back, I'll be waiting for you!" yelled Vernon as the flying car carried Harry away.

The ride to the burrow was quiet and somber instead of being filled with excitement as it would have normally been for someone who was riding in a flying car for the first time. Nobody spoke until they had reached their home and had escorted Harry into the house with his owl and trunk. As the four boys entered the house the hands on a strange clock with Ron, Fred, and Georges pictures on them moved from the words away, to home, and Harry looked around at the house in amazement. Dishes washed themselves and put themselves away while knitting needles flashed knitting something bright and colorful with no direction or interference from anyone.

"Your home is simply brilliant, thanks for rescuing me you guys." said Harry as Mrs. Weasley burst into the room angrily and frowned at her sons.

"Where, have, you, been? Oh, hello Harry dear. Your beds empty, no note, the car gone, you could have died or worse you could have been seen! Of course I don't blame you Harry dear." soothed Molly as she flip-flopped between scolding her three sons and welcoming Harry to their house.

"Mum, they were starving him and beating him. They had bars on his window." started Ron in a pleading tone attempting to make his mother see reason.

"You had better hope that I don't place bars on your window Ronald Weasley. Where's Serenity, please tell me that the four of you have been so ungentilmanly as to leave her outside to manage her trunk on her own?" asked Molly as she stepped to the door and looked out into the yard for the girl.

"Mum, she's not with us." said George placing a hand on his mother's shoulder and giving her a saddened look.

"Why? Don't tell me that you went all the way to Surry to get Harry for the rest of the summer and forgot his sister." she said turning to look at the four boys who were all hanging their heads with tears running down their cheeks.

Harry sank to his knees sobbing for the thousandth time since his sister's death and Molly rushed to him pulling him into her arms and rocking him as if he were her own son. "Harry dear, please, where is your sister? What happened?" asked Molly attempting to calm the hysterical boy in her arms as she rocked with him on the floor. Ginny came downstairs to see what was going on and was about to run back up when Molly called to her. "Ginny, run and get me a calming draught for Harry fast." Ginny nodded and ran into her mother's bathroom and returned quickly with the potion.

After making Harry drink the entire potion Molly looked up at her three sons expecting an explanation. Ron pulled Harry's note that was delivered by a strange house elf out of his pocket and handed it over with shaking hands. She flipped the note open with one hand and read over it, her eyes growing larger and larger with each line that she read in horror and rage.

"Boys stay with Harry until the potions has taken full effect, then once he's able take him to clean his face with some cool water, and bring him back down to have something to eat. I need to make several floo calls. This needs handling quickly before some fool decides to send poor Harry back to those horrid muggles." said Molly as she quickly got to her feet and stomped angrily into the living room with Harry's note clenched in her fist.

By the time that Harry was calm enough to wash his face and be settled at the breakfast table Mr. Weasley entered the house through the front door followed closely by Minister Fudge and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. The three wizards were pulled into the living room where Molly showed them all the note and raged at Albus for not removing the Potter twins when Serenity was still alive. The adults continued to argue and talk while the children ate, then Molly entered the kitchen and grabbed a large old bowl from the top shelf covered in strange markings.

"Harry dear, I know that this whole thing is hard for you, but the Headmaster and Minister of Magic need to see your memories of what happened. Only then will they agree to have you permanently removed from the home of those horrid muggles who did this." she said holding out her hand to the boy pleadingly. Harry slowly placed his hand in hers and let her lead him from the room and into the livingroom where she gently guided him down into a squashy armchair.

Dumbledore knelt in front of Harry with a sad look in his eyes. Harry there are other ways to do this but we all need to see your memories so that what happened to you and your sister is undeniable. We don't want to put you though the trauma of reliving these horrendous things again, so I want you to concentrate on all of the memories of everything that you can remember that the Dursley's put the two of you through up until last night.

"I am going to place my wand at your head and the memories will be removed from your head. If you desire me to do so, I will return which ever memories that you wish to keep when we are finished viewing them." said Professor Dumbledore as he drew his wand.

"I only want the happy memories back." said Harry as he closed his eyes and concentrated on everything that his sister and he had suffered through over the years.

The strand of silver memories that Albus pulled from the boy's head filled a large phial completely to the rim and threatened to overflow. When the older wizard stood with the phial in his hands Molly took Harry back into the other room with the other children to allow the three wizards to view the memories in solitude.

It was thirty minutes before dinner was to be served when the three wizards exited the pensive that sat on the living room table. On their tired faces were looks of mingled shame, horror, sadness, and disbelief as they collapsed into various seats around the room in exhaustion. From the kitchen Molly looked up from her stove when she heard the sounds of the men's footsteps on the floor.

She left the food cooking and gathered up three glasses and a bottle of fire whiskey from the top shelf of the pantry for the three wizards. She carried the trey with the bottle and the glasses into the living room and poured each man a generous helping before setting the bottle on the coffee table between them.

Arthur's hands shook as he took the offered drink and steadied noticeably after he had drained the glass in one gulp. "More please Molly dear." he said holding his glass out to her with a pleading expression on his tired face. Molly wordlessly poured her husband another drink and remained sitting on the arm of the chair that her husband was in with one hand resting gently on his shoulder while another rubbed soothing circles on his back.

Albus was silent and he had one long fingered hand covering his face as he attempted to hide his remorse for not acting sooner when the girl was still living and pulling her and her brother out of that situation. He knew that Severus, Minerva, and Poppy would never let him either live down his most grieves blunder or forget it for that matter and his mind was in a frazzled wreck as he pondered on exactly how to break the news to them.

Minister Fudge poured himself one, and then another drink before he spoke. "Harry must never be returned to those horrid murdering muggles. If they killed his poor sister than if he is left there it's only a matter of time before they would kill him as well. I make an unbreakable vow that I will see that that entire family is severely punished for their crimes against the Potter children." he said as he drained his third glass and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Harry is welcome to stay here with us. I'd be proud to raise him like one of my own." said Molly giving Arthur's shoulder a gentle squeeze to tell him that this was not open for debate on his part.

"No, Molly, while your intentions are very kind and noble, I can't let you do it." said Albus finally removing his hand from his face.

"Why not, Albus, I already have children and Harry feels comfortable with us" argued Molly angrily.

"Because Voldemort will come back and when he does anyone protecting Harry will be in danger." said Albus making everyone flinch.

"Now Albus, you know that,'He-who-must-not-be-named,' died on the night that the Potter's lost their lives. If the Weasley's are willing to give the boy a proper home filled with the love that he deserves than they should be allowed to do so." argued Fudge angrily.

"Minister we've been over this one thousand times. Voldemort is not dead. He's already managed to possess one of our teachers and almost succeeded in killing not one but both of the potter children last year. Anyone who is given guardianship over Harry will have to be very well aware of the risk that they'd be taking in becoming his guardian. Knowing the risks as I do, I simply can't allow the Weasley's to take that risk." said Albus seriously.

"Well then what do you suggest, since you, who, neglected to bring the Ministry into the problem sooner do not approve of a completely trustworthy wizarding family taking custody of the boy?" asked Fudge angrily.

"Don't get me wrong Molly and Arthur, it's not that I find you lacking or unable to give the boy adequate care, it's just that one more mouth to feed would put a strain on your family, and I know that if Merlin forbid anything ever happened to any member of your family because you were trying to protect Harry that the boy wouldn't be able to live with himself. Not to mention how I would feel if we lost even one member of your wonderful family." said Albus in a soft tone attempting to keep the Weasley matron from exploding or hexing his beard off in anger.

"I don't think that the finances would ever be a problem. After all Harry's parents did leave a great deal of money to their children. There's more than enough for Harry to live on well into old age. We can't have the boy who lived put into an orphanage so I propose that he be made a ward of Hogwarts until a suitable wizarding family can be found to raise and protect the boy until he is of age to make his own decisions." Suggested Fudge

"I agree, Harry will live at Hogwarts until we can find him a proper family and he may of course go home with the Weasley's for the summer's and any other holidays until a family can be found for him." said Albus nodding in agreement.

"Well then while he is here he is my responsibility and he will be treated no different than I treat my own children. Now dinner is ready you men will all join us for dinner, I insist." snapped Molly as she got up from the arm of the chair and walked into the kitchen before yelling for the children to get ready for dinner.

Dinner that night was a silent affair as everyone was in a state of shock and morning over Harry's loss and what he had been through. Later that night Harry awoke from the same nightmare that had plaighed his nights ever since his sister's death earlier that summer. He awoke screaming and sobbing and looked around the room to find that instead of being in the room that was his prison in the Dursley's home that he was instead sitting in a bed on the other side of Ron's room which was painted orange and was covered with magically moving posters of Ron's favorite quiddich team the Chudly Cannons.

He looked over to where Ron still slept and got up and went down stairs quietly not wishing to wake anyone. As he entered the living room he saw Mrs. Weasley's knitting needles flashing in the dimly lit room as they moved. He walked around the chair that they hovered above to jump in shock when he found that Mrs. Weasley was the one actually doing the knitting.

"What's wrong Harry dear? Did you have a bad dream?" she asked stilling her knitting needles and laying the work aside. Harry nodded mutely and looked out of the window deep in thought before he spoke.

"Mrs. Weasley, what's going to happen to me? They aren't going to send me back to the Dursley's are they?" he asked with a fearful tone in his voice.

"No dear, you are going to stay here with us for the rest of the summer and will be able to visit us any time that you like afterwards. The headmaster and the Ministry have decided that to protect you until they can find a suitable family for you that you will become a ward of the school. The school will, until a family is found be your new home. You will never return to those horrid people ever again." she said as she got up from her chair and joined Harry on the couch and wrapped a motherly arm around him protectively.

"I like your family, couldn't I just be adopted by you and your husband?" asked Harry as he felt safe and warm in Molly's embrace.

"We'd love that more than anything, but the headmaster and the Ministry feel that since we already have so many children, and the fact that ,'You-Know-Who," may still be looking for you that you would be better off with a family of your own. But as long as you are here any time that you are here you are one of my children and I will love you as such." said Molly as she kissed the top of his head.

"Come on dear, I'll make you a nice hot cup of cocoa to help you get back to sleep. We've got a busy day tomorrow as your Hogwarts letters should be arriving and we will have to go shopping." said Molly as she guided Harry into the kitchen and went about making a nice hot kettle of water to make some cocoa for him and some tea for her.

"Mrs. Weasley, do you think that anyone will do anything to my aunt, uncle and cousin for what they've done to me and my sister?" he asked looking down at the table and drawing patterns on it with his finger.

"Oh, yes, Harry, trust me on this darling boy. They aren't going to get away with what they've done. The Minister of Magic will see to it. Furthermore, I understand that as soon as it can be done your sister's body will be removed from where they buried it, and we will be able to give her a proper burial." said Mrs. Weasley as the tea kettle started to whistle.

"What they did to her was horrendous. I don't want anyone to see her like that if it can be helped." said Harry sadly as he took the hot cup of cocoa from Mrs. Weasley.

"Harry it is a tradition in wizarding funerals that the closest living family member prepare the body for burial. If you are unable to do it you may ask someone else to do it in your stead. You may want to think about it." said Molly as she sipped her tea. Harry nodded and finished his cocoa giving Mrs. Weasley a tight hug before he went back up to bed for the rest of the night.

**A/N another chapter down I cried while I wrote this because now for the mean time Harry is safe. Please leave a review if you'd like to comment. Chapter eleven Hogwarts In Mourning is next.**


	11. Chapter eleven Hogwarts In Mourning

**A/N I've got a good creative flow going so here is another chapter for you.**

**Chapter eleven Hogwarts In Mourning**

Soon it was time for students to return to Hogwarts for their new school term. Draco and his friends waited on the platform for Serenity to show up but as the train whistle blew they had no choice but to get on the train. As they sat on the train and it started to move they figured that maybe she was sitting in another car with her brother, but for some reason Draco had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was horribly wrong.

As the train picked up speed he was about to go and search the train for her but all conversation stopped when they looked up when the door slid open to reveal Harry Potter standing alone with a large bundle of letters in his shaking hands. "What do you want Gryffindork?" snapped Crabbe cracking his knuckles menacingly.

Draco got to his feet and poked his head out into the corridor looking both ways for Serenity, then looked into Harry's eyes which were brimming with tears that were threatening to flow. "Shut it you lot, I told you that something was wrong!" he barked as he pulled Harry into their compartment and made him sit down in the seat that Serenity would have taken.

"Malfoy, are you nuts, he's a Gryffindor. He doesn't belong in here with us." spat Goyle angrily drawing his wand.

"Stuff it up your ass, Goyle. I made an unbreakable vow to Serenity last year that if anything ever happened to her that I wouldn't be mean to her brother. Now I for one would like to know what has happened that Harry is here and his sister, who is our friend is not, so shut your mouths and let the boy speak or I'll hex you into next week!" shouted Draco making the compartment go silent again.

"Please Harry, what happened to your sister? Where is she?" asked Draco fearing her brother's answer. Harry sorted the letters in his hand and handed them back to the people who had written them before he spoke.

"M-my sister is dead. She was murdered by my uncle about two weeks after we got home for the summer. Th-they buried her in the back yard like a dog." stammered Harry shaking hard trying not to lose control again.

Stunned silence followed his words. Millicent and Pansy hugged each other and let the tears fall and that started the tears flowing from the eyes of everyone in the compartment. Before Harry knew what was happening he found himself being hugged and comforted by each of the Slytherins in turn as they whispered through their own tears of grief how sorry they were for his loss.

Harry stayed with Serenity friends for half of the ride letting them share their happy memories about his sister while she lived in their school house. When the train ride was half over he got up and excused himself from their compartment wanting to get back to his other friends. He was just about to enter the creature car to go through it to the next car where his friends were waiting for his return, when Draco ran up behind him and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry can we talk in private for a minute?" he asked hoping that the Gryffindor wouldn't refuse his request.

"Sure Draco, what's on your mind?" asked Harry as he opened the door to the creature car and held it so that Draco could follow him in.

"Harry, please tell me is anything being done about your sister and the way that she was buried? Furthermore, you don't have to share this with me of all people if you don't want to, but please tell me that they're not going to send you back to those horrid muggles?" asked Draco as he took a seat on a trunk wiping a fresh stream of tears from his face.

"It may take some time, but the Ministry is working on having the Dursley's punished, and my sister's body removed from their back yard. I couldn't say it in there with your other friends, but I know that my sister would want all of her friends from all of the houses to attend her funeral. Would you please make sure that everyone who was her friend in Slytherin house knows that I'd like them to attend?" asked Harry somberly.

"None of us in Slytherin will miss it for the world, Harry. Your sister was very special to us all. I'll also see if my father can speed things up with the ministry if you'd like. He works for the ministry of magic." Said Draco wishing to help Harry.

"Do you think that your dad would be willing to do that for me?" asked Harry in a hopeful tone.

"I know that he would." said Draco placing a friendly hand on Harry's shoulder. I also suggest that you speak with our head of house as well, she had a close relationship with him and thought of him like the father that she never truly got to know." suggested Draco as he left Harry to go the other way.

Regrettably Headmaster Dumbledore had not been able to find the words to express to his colleagues that Serenity Potter had lost her life, so you could imagine Professor Severus Snape's shock when none other than Harry Potter walked straight to his office just as he was about to head to the great hall for the sorting of the new students.

He knew exactly why the Potter boy was searching him out, but made on that he was unaware, and acted very shocked when the boy asked if he could speak with him in private for a second. "Mr. Potter, you should be in the great hall for the sorting and the feast. I'm quite sure that your sister is already in her proper seat." said Severus in a cool tone.

"Professor, I am afraid to inform you that my sister will not be returning to Hogwarts this term or ever." began Harry shakily.

"Really, why is that Mr. Potter? Has something happened to her that would prevent her from being here with you and her other friends?" he asked calmly.

"No, she won't sir because she's been killed by my uncle. She's been dead since the second week of summer break and I was unable to save her or even to get help because, because." stammered Harry starting to lose control again.

"Come Mr. Potter you need to calm down. I'm taking you to the hospital wing so that Madam Pomfrey can examine you. I assume that you've already spoken and shared your memories with our headmaster or a member of the ministry so that your sister's death could be handled properly and the muggles who harmed her can be punished. Would I be correct in that assumption?" asked Severus as he led the sobbing boy up to the hospital wing. Harry was not able to speak so he just nodded mutely.

Severus stayed while Madam Pomfrey gave Harry a calming draught, and examined him thoroughly. She frowned at the results then made him drink a nourishment potion and a pepper up potion, before both she and Severus escorted Harry down to the great hall to join in on the feast. Minerva had noticed that Harry wasn't at his normal spot with his friends at the Gryffindor table and she started to worry. She was about to ask the headmaster about it when Severus and Poppy showed up and led Harry over to his seat before stomping up to the staff table and pulling both her and the headmaster aside into a small room where the staff would meet just off of the great hall.

As the door slammed closed behind them Severus and Poppy spun on the headmaster in rage. "Albus, how could you know about this for the past two weeks and not say a single word to any of us?" screamed Poppy angrily.

"What's going on? Please tell me why did the two of you brought Harry into the great hall so late and where is Serenity, because I didn't see her at the Slytherin table? Is she in the hospital wing like she was last year at the beginning of term?" asked Minerva looking from Severus and Poppy to Albus in confusion.

Albus hung his head sadly and sighed before speaking. "No, Minerva, Serenity Potter is not in the hospital wing. She is dead because her Uncle murdered her." he said as he collapsed into a chair. Minerva's hand went up to cover her gaping mouth and tears started to roll down her face.

"That explains the silence and downcast eyes of both Slytherin and Gryffindor house. Albus you should be ashamed of yourself." said Minerva with a scowl on her face.

"We all warned you that this would happen, and now I've lost one of my finest students because of your refusal to pull the Potter children from the abusive home. I warned you that it would end with the girl's death, and now look at what has happened. Were you even planning on telling us at all?" raged Severus.

"Harry Potter is so distraught that he actually came to me and told me what happened. The boy deserves better. If you tell me that your sending him back to those muggles, I promise that I'll quit my job, and take the boy as far from here as I can." said Severus as he paced the floor in rage deliberating on taking the boy to be with his sister in the back of his mind. The look on the boy's face and his reaction was almost enough to make him tell Harry the truth about his sister then and there but he knew that her safety rested on secrecy.

"No, no, the Ministry decreed that Harry is now a ward of the school until a proper wizarding family who is willing to take the risk involved to protect him can be found. I have also received word that his muggle relatives have all been arrested and are currently undergoing trial." said Albus finding his voice at last.

"Trial, trial how in Merlin's name do they get off giving them a trial. They are guilty of murder abuse, neglect, food deprivation, and rape of a magical child. They don't deserve a trial by the muggle authorities!" screeched Poppy hysterically

"They aren't getting a muggle trial. Surprisingly Lucius Malfoy on Merlin knows what impulse has stepped in and seen to them being expedited to our law system. They will definitely be taken to Azkaban for the rest of their lives."

"Also I am going to cancel all classes tomorrow for Serenity Potter's funeral. She has been exhumed from the Dursley's back yard and is at this moment being held at the ministry awaiting a family member of someone else that she trusted to perform the magic that will keep her body from being stolen or worst from grave robbers. Under normal circumstances I would say that Harry should do it, but the boy is in no condition to handle such a responsibility, so the task must fall to one of us." said Albus looking at the three in the room.

"Actually headmaster, the task falls to me. Harry Potter asked me to perform the last rights in his place since his sister thought of me like a father; he even gave me a lovely set of Slytherin green and silver robes made of silk that he wishes her to be buried in. The boy has also asked that considering the extent of the damage done to his sister that the funeral not allow visitors to view her body." announced Severus crossing his arms over his chest.

"Are you certain that you will be willing to do it?" asked Minerva as she dabbed at her eyes with a lace handkerchief.

"Yes, if the funeral is to be held tomorrow, I will go and attend to that duty as soon as I've attended to my duties as head of house for the evening." he said as he bowed his head keeping his eyes lowered and away from Albus's glance.

That being settled the two professors, healer, and the headmaster exited the room and brought attention to the school. "May I have your attention please? The headmaster has some sad news that he wishes to share with you all," said Minerva making all of the students look up from their plates. As she looked around the room she could see sadness on the faces of the Slytherin's and the Gryffindors, and confusion on the faces of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws.

She took her seat and Albus got up and took a deep breath before addressing the school. "I am sad to say that two weeks after the beginning of the summer break one of our fellow students has lost her life. Her life was taken away from her by someone who should have protected her and her brother, but now her brother is left to mourn her passing alone. I ask that you please bow your heads in a moment of silent rememberance for Serenity Potter." he said as he bowed his head.

There was a slight muttering and quite a few gasps at first but soon the entire school was silent with their eyes downcast. Many other students who had been befriended by Serenity Potter shed silent tears for the loss of the girl who had tried to be a friend to all. "Classes will be canceled tomorrow, and anyone who wishes to attend the funeral must be waiting in the entrance hall directly after breakfast. We will be taking port keys to the location where the funeral is to be held so for those of you who have never done this please listen to all instructions given by your head of house and the other professors. Now we all have a long day tomorrow so you should all get to bed.

The next day Harry stood at the front of the entire school and the many others who had gathered to pay their last respects to his sister. Many he didn't even know shook his hand and hugged him. Hermione, Ron, and Draco never left his side giving him a constant source of comfort. When Draco's father and mother finally got to him he was hugged by Mrs. Malfoy who pulled him into her arms.

"You poor boy, I'm so sorry for what you've been through. If you need a home that will give you the love and life that you deserve, consider our family as an option." she said as she held him at arm's length.

"Even if it is decided that we may not be your guardians as long as you are Draco's friend, you may visit any time and will be treated as if you are Draco's brother." said Lucius silkily.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy for helping with everything." said Harry somberly.

"Think nothing of it my boy, I will be here for you if you have need of me." said Lucius making Severus give him a suspicious look

**A/N a sad chapter I know, but it was neededIn the next chapter you will find out exactly who gets permanate custody of Harry Potter. I'm thinking about adding another one of my favorite OC's into this story to act as Harry's new guardian. We will see. :) Chapter Twelve The Girl From Beauxbatons will be next.**


	12. Chapter Twelve The Girl From Beauxbatons

**A/N I'm sorry that it took me so long to post this but I've been going through some stuff and very busy with moving out of our old house and into a new one that needs a lot of work that doesn't seem to be getting done fast enough considering we 14 more days before we have to be off of this property. It's really stressful on me and I haven't had the muse to write lately. So my friends and fellow authors and readers I have decided to make up to you by posting two chapters of this story today instead of my usual one. Please enjoy. :)**

**Chapter Twelve The Girl From Beauxbatons**

Harry, and Ron became friends with Draco Malfoy after the funeral, though Hermione and Ron were unsure of his choice to include the blond boy in their little group. It made Harry slightly happier knowing that he was friends with at least one Slytherin who had been close friends with his sister. Serenity's absence was noticed and a constant source of conversation on days when any student would find themselves doing something that the Potter girl used to love doing, and Harry soon found that instead of being sad and wanting to cry over his sister's loss that he was content to be surrounded by so many who had liked her.

By the end of his second year at Hogwarts he was starting to get worried over where he would go, and who would be his new family. He had received a letter and loads of wonderful gifts at Christmas time earlier in the year from someone who didn't place their name on any packages, so he knew that there was at least three unknown people in the world who cared deeply for him. If one of them were to be his new family, he was uncertain.

As he waved from the front gates of Hogwarts to his friends who were leaving for the summer, he suddenly felt lonely and depressed. The emptiness of his dorm room seemed to close in around him so he would spend hours sitting alone in Serenity's old spot by the black lake where she would sit and read when she was alive and leaned against the tree enjoying the afternoon sun.

As he looked at the sky a large dark shadow momentarily blocked out his view and he turned his head just in time to see Haggrid standing not too far from him with Fang by his side. "Harry, the Headmaster asked me to come and get ya. There's someone here that he wants you to meet." said Haggrid as he held out his large hand to the boy to help him to his feet.

"Thanks Haggrid, do you think that it may have something to do with a new family for me?" asked Harry as they walked back up to the school side by side.

"Sorry, but I aint supposed to tell ya that." said Haggrid as they entered the entrance hall and walked up to the headmaster's office. Haggrid opened the large double doors at the top of the spiral stairs and gently guided Harry inside bowing and closing the door behind the boy with respect. Minerva and Albus turned and smiled at Harry as the doors closed.

"Harry, we've got good news for you. You won't be staying here alone all summer. The Ministry has approved a new guardian for you. She will be arriving any minute now, so please have a seat and feel free to take a lemon drop if you'd like." said Albus as he held out a bowl of his favorite muggle sweet.

"No thank you Headmaster, I'm too nervous to eat anything sweet at the moment." said Harry as the flames in Dumbledore's floo went green and a familiar house elf stepped out followed by a beautiful tall witch with long black hair and emerald green eyes.

"Harry, this is your new guardian, Ariana Isobel Dumbledore. I think that you are already familiar with her little companion." said Albus as he held out his hand to help his daughter from the floo.

"Dobby, what are you doing here?" asked Harry in shock.

"Dobby is employed by Mistress Dumbledore to serve as your personal house elf. Dobby is very happy with his new Mistress because she is kind and allows me to wear anything that I like, and will allow me to serve you always." said Dobby proudly as he grasped Harry's trunk that was sitting by Dumbledore's desk and popped away with it and Hedwig in her cage.

"Wait a minute did you just say that my new guardian's name was Dumbledore?" asked Harry with wide shocked eyes.

"Yes, he did Harry. Ariana is our daughter." announced Minerva with a smile as she placed an arm around Ariana's shoulder.

"I have with me some papers that once you sign them will make you legally my son. Not by blood but you will be my son all the same and will have the choice to change your name if you choose to do so at any time." she said handing him the papers.

"So, you want to adopt me and become my new mother? asked Harry looking over the paper carefully.

"Yes. You and I look so much alike already that no one will question it. The only thing that I will insist that we change for your protection is to hide that scar." said Ariana as she pointed her wand at Harry's scar and muttered a healing charm. "Honestly father, what were you thinking not allowing the boy to have this scar removed when he was younger?" she scolded her father as the scar vanished before their eyes.

"Scars can be very useful, my dear." argued Albus with his arms crossed.

"How exactly does the boy's scar help him father. It identifies him as Harry Potter the boy who lived, and makes him an easily identified target for the followers of Lord Voldemort." she scolded him making her mother flinch as she said the name of the dreaded Dark Lord.

"Must you say that name? Honestly you and your father are too much alike in that regard." said Minerva shaking her head in shame.

"Come now Mother, you know that fear of the name only increases the fear of the man. I see no reason to fear either." said Ariana as she watched Harry sign the papers and he handed them back to her with a smile on his face for the first time since his sister's death.

"Come along Harry dear, I've got your room all ready and quite a few nice surprises for you." said Ariana as she led him into the floo. Harry loved his new home with Ariana Dumbledore as the time passed his spirits began to sore higher and higher like a snitch on the wind. The years passed by and it was now Harry's fourth year in attendance at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.

As the year began the headmaster announced that, that year the school would be playing host to the tri-wizard tournament. Two other schools would be visiting and will be living at the school and taking classes for the entire year. The students of Beauxbatons, and Durmstraing would be arriving at any moment and he expected for the entire school to make them feel welcome.

The students of Durmstraing and Beauxbatons arrived and awaited their turn to make an entrance. The young men of Durmstraing went first. Then it was the turn of the girls from Beauxbatons. A large group of lovely girls dressed in silk powder blue robes scurried up the center isle casting the Avis charm as they reached the end wandlessly and nonverbally as they split into two groups and stood at attention.

Then came a blond girl in a light blue leotard preforming acrobatics, and another blond girl with another girl with long black hair with red bangs dancing a complicated ballet routine together. As the black headed girl danced, everywhere that she stepped a small pile of white rose petals were left on the floor in her wake.

Once the black headed girl reached the end of the isle she stood on one pointed foot and spun on the spot. The fallen rose petals swirled around her then as she stopped and bowed to her headmistress the rose petals spread themselves evenly on the path that Madam Maxine was walking. The students of Hogwarts gasped, cheered, and applauded in amazement both over the girl's beauty and magical skills, and the sheer size of their headmistress.

At the staff table Severus sent Renata a small secret smile at how powerful she had become under the teachings of Beauxbatons Academy. As Renata took her seat once Madam Maxine sat at the staff table her green eyes instantly found Harry and then Draco. Seeing that as her correspondence with her uncle and secret adopted father had indeed, showed them to be in good health and spirits, she turned away and started chatting in French with her friends.

Severus couldn't help but notice the looks that the boys of both Durmstraing and Hogwarts were giving not only his adopted daughter but her friends, and smirked as he thought of the reactions if everyone around her ever realized exactly who she was.

Later that night Draco and his close friends were on their way to their common room when they noticed the black haired girl from Beauxbatons standing outside of Professor Snape's office door respectfully with silent tears rolling down her pale cheeks. "Bonjour, mon nom est Draco. Pourquoi pleurez-vous? N'êtes-vous pas heureux d'être ici?" asked Draco in perfect French making the girl look up into his silver eyes.

Renata blinked and covered her mouth with her hand demurely attempting to hide her soft giggles that had burst forth on hearing Draco speak French. "Hello, um Draco did you say? My name is Renata Mignonette Prince. The reason I am crying is my business and that of my uncle, and yes I am happy to be here, though I wish that I didn't have to tell my uncle such bad news." she said making his jaw drop and his eyes get as large as quaffles.

"You're not French, you British!" blurted Crabbe dumbly.

"It doesn't take a blind hag to see that." said Draco as he spun and knocked Crabbe upside his head.

"I do believe that you all have somewhere to be, so please stop embarrassing yourselves in front of my niece and get into the common room before I take points away from all of you." snapped Professor Snape as he came up upon the gathered Slytherin students who were attempting to give Renata the third degree.

On seeing their head of house the Slytherin's all scurried into the common room, each of them waving and saying welcome to Hogwarts to his niece. "I expected you'd be here but aren't you supposed to be in the suite that was arranged for you and your classmates? I also find myself wondering exactly what you needed to speak with me so badly about that it couldn't wait until a better time." said Severus as he guided her into his office and led her straight into his private living quarters.

Renata sat herself on the edge of the sofa and brought trembling hands up to her face as she started to cry again. On seeing her cry, Severus assumed that she was crying because she missed her brother and her old friends and sat beside her and placed a soothing arm around her shoulder. "Renata, I thought that you were over this by now." he soothed as he pulled her closer to him and allowed her to get out her frustrations.

"Daddy, it's not what you think. I've been over not being able to be close to my brother and my old friends for a long time now. It's something much worse. You didn't come and visit for the summer and therefore you don't know what happened." she sobbed wringing her hands as she looked up into his black eyes.

"What am I unaware of, Renata?" he asked sensing that he wouldn't like what he was about to hear.

"I was spending the last week of summer with my friends Fleur and Gabrielle Delacoure, and when I returned to Prince Manor to travel to school with Grandmother I found that the Manor was swarmed with French Ministry and Healers." She sobbed breaking down.

Severus gazed into her distraught eyes and instantly saw her memory of the Healer's carrying his mother's lifeless body out of the front doors of Prince Manor. He pulled out of her mind and pulled her closer to him rocking with her in his arms as they both shed tears of pain and grief. He then waved his wand and summoned two bottles of calming draught from his personal stores and drank his in one gulp before handing one over to her and ordering her to drink it. Once she had done as he asked and he was content that she would be alright he excused himself to greet the first year Slytherins and returned faster than he would have normally.

Renata was sitting in his favorite chair near the fireplace with her nose in one of his favorite books when he returned. "Renata, it's going to be risky, but we can't help what happened to your grandmother. You will stay with me when you're school is out for the summer's since you are my daughter. The only thing that I want you to think long and hard about between now and the end of the year is what you wish to do." he said as he paced the room deep in thought.

"What do you mean Daddy?"

"I mean, you have a choice on where you may spend your final term of education. You may either remain in attendance at Beauxbatons, or I could have you transferred here to Hogwarts." said Severus with crossed arms.

Renata looked up at her dad with shock in her eyes. "Daddy, what if the sorting hat remembers me?"

"I think that your DNA has changed enough that the hat won't recognize you. I want you to take the rest of this year to think it out carefully." said Severus as he pulled her onto her feet and escorted her back to her quarters.

Soon it was time for the champions to be chosen, and the school's all clapped as their respective champions names were called out. Renata clapped and cheered as Fleur's name was called out and she got to her feet and walked into another room. As Professor Dumbledore spoke to the students from all three schools Severus and Renata's eyes were locked on the goblet of fire, which was wildly flaming higher as if it were about to spit out another name or explode.

The headmaster turned and noticed the flames and stepped up to the goblet of fire just as another piece of parchment burst into the air and floated down into his hand. He read the parchment in disbelief before shouting Harry's name. On hearing her brother's name Renata gave her father a horror filled look that spoke volumes.

Time passed and despite Harry's distress over the up and coming first task he couldn't help but to notice the black haired girl from Beauxbatons sitting in the spot where his sister used to sit studying hard with her nose deep in a sixth year textbook. He walked up to her and debated on taking a seat if not next to the beautiful girl at least on the other side of the tree as it was his favorite spot since it made him feel at peace.

She looked up at him with dazzling green eyes and smiled brilliantly at him. "If, I'm in your favorite spot, I can move." she said preparing to gather her things.

"No, it's Okay; I can sit on the other side of you if you don't mind."

"It's your school; you can sit wherever you please. I just sat here to study because it is the most peaceful and beautiful spot that I could find. Oh, I'm sorry how rude of me, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Renata Mignonette Prince, what's your name?" she asked pretending that she didn't already know.

"My friends call me Harry." he said as he took a seat and leaned against the tree.

"Harry, would your last name be Potter?" she asked again pretending that she didn't know.

"Yes, but sometimes I wish that it wasn't." he said with a frown.

"I've been watching you; there are times when you look so sad. Would I be prying if I asked why?" she asked attempting to see if he still missed her.

Harry sighed, and stared off into space before he answered her question. "I'm over it for the most part, really. You see, I used to have a twin sister. She regretfully was killed by my horrid uncle after years of physical, mental, emotional, and sexual abuse. I was powerless to stop him, and sometimes I feel like I've failed my sister." admitted Harry not knowing what it was about Renata that made him feel so comfortable that he would share such a personal thing with her.

He looked up when he felt her soft comforting somewhat familiar feeling hand on his shoulder. "This is scary really, I used to have a twin brother, but tragically we were separated and because of a similar circumstances. My only comfort was that my brother was adopted by a lovely and kind hearted witch who takes very good care of him, and that our relatives who abused us both were taken to Azkaban Prison for the rest of their lives."

"At least your brother is still alive. Do you think that you'll ever see him again?" asked Harry feeling connected to Renata.

"I already have, but he didn't recognize me. You see I was beaten to the point where I almost died. I spent an entire month in a hospital and was so bad off that I had to have what the muggles call a blood transfusion. It saved my life but at a price. My uncle, who adopted me, is now biologically my father because his blood flows through my veins. It changed my DNA, and made me look more like him and less like my mother, whom I am told I was the spitting image of. It is sad, but I have hope that one day my brother will know me for who I am, and we will be together again. I am sorry for the loss of your sister. If you ever wish to talk, I wouldn't mind listening to you." said Renata as she got to her feet and stretched before gathering her things and walking away with a satisfied smile on her face.

As she approached the castle she smiled at her dad and walked demurely passed him. Severus gave her a curious look and went on about his patrol not bothering to question her even though he already knew exactly what she was up to. As the tournament went on Renata sat fearfully on the edge of her seat as Fleur and Harry took the field to do battle with the dragon. She wished that she could help him but her father had forbidden it, which managed to put her in a bad mood.

Draco was sitting close enough to see her in the stands and couldn't help wondering why she was so nervous over someone who wasn't even in her school. He got up and decided to go and sit with her. "Hello Renata, are you enjoying the tournament so far?" he asked as he took an empty seat next to her.

"It's very exciting," she said not looking away from the field where Harry was flying around on his broom with the dragon hot on his tail.

"Not to pry, but I can't help thinking that I've met you before." commented Draco making her turn to give him a curious look.

"I'm quite certain that I've never met you before that first night here at your school, though who knows perhaps we were acquainted in another life. Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing really, I just feel as if we belong together or maybe we used to. Do you have a boyfriend?" asked Draco looking down at his hands in his lap.

"No, I've never been asked. Besides I'm not really interested in dating at the moment. My education comes first." said Renata with a smile. Draco smiled at her hopefully, and then they both gasped as Harry flew over the teachers where they sat, followed closely by the enraged dragon that took out part of the teachers stands with its tail, then clapped as he swooped down and grabbed the egg from the ground.

**A/N thanks as always for taking out of your valuable time to read my work. It truly relaxes me and makes me happy to know that someone likes my work. Chapter Thirteen A Friendly Duel will be next.**


	13. Chapter Thirteen A Friendly Duel

**Chapter Thirteen A Friendly Duel **

December came along cold and blustery, while the other girls of Beauxbatons shivered in their silk uniforms in the cold, Renata, Fleur, and Gabrielle were toasty and warm since Renata was very good at warming charms. There was going to be a ball on Christmas Eve. The Girls from Beauxbatons had all decided to go into Hogsmade to purchase their dress robes for the Yule ball.

As the girls shopped Renata noticed Hermione browsing a rack full of robes having trouble deciding on which one she liked best, so she decided to help. "With your complexion, I'd go with that Purple one in your right hand, and these shoes." said Renata as she handed Hermione a pair of shoes that she was looking at.

"Oh, hi, you're Renata Prince right?" asked Hermione as she took the shoes and examined them.

"Yes, Is this your first ball?"

"Yes, it's the first one that Hogwarts has ever had. I'm excited, but I don't know what to do with my hair and I'm not that good with fashion." Admitted Hermione as she held the lovely gown up against her and looked into the mirror.

"I can help you with that, and I've even got a good idea of what to do with your hair." Offered Renata as she took a dark green velvet ball gown from the rack and checked the size.

"Really, that would be great. Do you have a date yet?" asked Hermione.

"No, but I've been asked by two of the most unsightly brutish looking boys in your school." answered Renata as she thought back on the other day when Crabbe and Goyle both asked her to be their dates with food hanging out of their mouths.

"Yeah, that was Crabbe and Goyle, I'm sorry that you had to suffer that."

"It wouldn't have been so bad if they didn't have food hanging out of their mouths and if their breath wasn't worse than those dragons that the champions fought in the first task." said Renata making Hermione gag and then laugh.

"Yuck that's just disgusting. I'm surprised that you didn't hex them for that." laughed Hermione with a smile on her face.

"Believe me, I had thought of it, but considering who my father is, it wouldn't have been a very good idea." said Renata as she grabbed a pair of green shoes to go with her dress on their way to the front of the shop to pay for their things.

As the time for the ball drew closer the school was abuzz with students from all three schools attempting to get themselves dates. The day before the dance Harry and Draco both sought out the same girl to ask to the dance. She was walking around in the snow feeding the winged horses apples. She didn't notice the boys until the massive Abraxan stallion that she was feeding pinned his ears and flapped his wings threateningly.

She turned to see the two boys leaning on the fence watching her. "I'd back away from that fence if I were the two of you. Cheval is very protective over me and the Madam." she said as she conjured a bucket of single malt whiskey and set it in front of the stallion to sooth him before leaving the corral. "So let me guess it's the day before the ball and neither of you have a date for the ball." she said stepping away from the fence to keep them both safe from the stallion.

Draco and Harry both nodded in answer to her question. "We were wondering if you had a date for the ball yet?" asked Draco.

"Because if you don't we were wondering if you would consider going with one of us." said Harry.

"No, I don't have a date yet, and I'm honored that two such handsome boys would ask me in the same day. I only see one problem though. I can't decide which of you I should say yes too." said Renata as Pansy Parkinson came up to ask Draco out to the dance.

"I don't have a date either, Draco, will you take me to the ball?" asked Pansy with a smile on her pink lips. Draco really didn't want to go to the ball with Pansy since his father had taken the steps to have him become betrothed to marry the girl after Hogwarts since his first love had died.

"I've got an idea, since they both asked me to the ball first I think that they should have an equal chance to earn the right to have me as their date. They should have a friendly little duel for the honor. The winner will take me to the ball and the looser will take you. Does that sound fair?" asked Renata.

Harry and Draco nodded and turned back to back drawing their wands in preparation for the duel. "The object is to disarm your opponent only." said Pansy in agreement as she and Renata stepped away from the boys. Harry and Draco took ten steps from each other, the turned and let the hexes fly. They didn't use anything that would cause long term damage most of the jinxes and hexes that they through were knock back jinxes and disarming charms.

The two girls watched as Harry and Draco dueled for the next fifteen minutes, until Harry over powered Draco with a jinx that sent Draco's wand flying out of his hand and into Harry's. Pansy and Renata clapped as Harry stepped forward and helped his friend up from the ground and handed him back his wand. "Why do I feel like you were taking it easy on me this whole time?" asked Draco as he took Harry's offered hand and got back to his feet.

"Sorry about that mate, but I felt like I had to at least give you a chance to win. It's not my fault that my mum is considered the second to best duelist in the country." said Harry with a smile as the girls approached the two boys.

"You did well, your mother taught you very well. Maybe one day you can see how you fair against the daughter of the number one champion duelist in the country." said Renata as she stepped to Harry's side with a gentle smile.

"I think that such good dueling skills should be rewarded, so Pansy and I have agreed that we will go with both of you to the ball. Since Harry won the duel, I will go with him for the first half of the ball." started Renata.

"And I will have the honor of dancing with one of the tri-wizard champions for the other half of the ball." said Pansy as she stepped to Draco's side.

"Come on then ladies it's cold out here lets go inside and have a nice hot cup of cocoa. Harry come sit with us at the Slytherin table tonight at dinner." Suggested Draco as he through an arm over his shoulder and wrapped the other around Pansy's waste to help her through the deep snow.

The evening of the next day the students gathered in the entrance hall and awaited the time to enter the great hall where the ball was to be held. Ron had at the last minute managed to get a date with Padma Patill. They stood at the bottom of the grand staircase with Harry and Draco as they waited for their dates. "I guess Hermione couldn't find a date after all and decided to not bother coming at all." said Ron as he leaned against the bottom of the stair railing.

At that moment Padma looked up and saw Hermione, Renata, and Pansy walking down the stairs together chattering with each other excitedly. "They look amazingly beautiful!" she said in astonishment making the three boy's heads turn. Hermione was dressed in flowing lavender off the shoulder ball gown with her hair pinned up with soft bouncy spiral curls cascading down her back.

She smiled brilliantly as Victor Crumb stepped up, bowed, and offered her his arm to lead her into the ball room. Ron's jaw dropped to the floor and his blue eyes flashed jealously as he watched Victor lead Hermione away from them. Harry and Draco offered their hands to Pansy and Renata and complimented them both on their beauty. Pansy was wearing a one shoulder style ball gown in silver with several emerald green gems decorating the bodice and a lovely emerald and silver necklace with matching earrings. Renata was wearing an off the shoulder velvet green ball gown with dark green satin half way down the skirt, with her usual green choker, and a pair long green silk gloves. She wore silver snake earrings, and her long black and red hair had green ribbon woven in and out of it.

She smiled as she took ahold of Harry's hand and allowed him to lead her over to where the other champions were standing with their dates. As the ball began and Harry danced with her he had an overwhelming sense of peace and began to feel more and more as if he knew the girl that he danced with.

After dancing with harry for half the night Pansy and Renata switched dance partners, and Renata danced with Draco. The instant that Draco touched her he felt an overwhelming feeling that she belonged with him. As he danced with her he couldn't help noticing her silver snake earrings and the green ribbon that was woven through her black hair.

Memories of Serenity Potter flooded his mind and he blinked a few times to rid himself of the memory that had invaded his mind after so many years. "What's wrong Draco, did you get something in your eye?" she asked noticing him blink.

"It's nothing, I just feel like you and I belong together. I haven't felt this way for a long time. May I ask did your father give you those snake earrings?" asked Draco.

Renata smiled when she felt a warm tingling feeling where Draco's hands touched her. His eyes were like an open window to his thoughts his Occlumency barriers were down. Without trying she easily saw flashes of his memories that involved the girl that she used to be, so since it distracted him so badly she questioned him. "My father gave them to me for Christmas. You see my mother died when I was born, and my grandmother died just this last summer before my return to school. Because of that he has given me a choice on if I would like to attend my final year of school at Beauxbatons or here at Hogwarts next school year."

"Wait a minute, how could you be in your seventh year next year when you only look like your fourteen?" asked Draco as they danced in confusion.

"You see I was homeschooled for the first part of my life by my grandmother and when I turned eleven I was taken to Beauxbatons and given a placement test to assess my skill level. My knowledge was so advanced that I was placed in the equivalent of third year classes. That's why even though I am fourteen years old, I am in my sixth year of magical education now." smiled Renata.

"That's cool, I know that I probably shouldn't bother asking this, but do you have a boyfriend?" asked Draco not knowing exactly what made him ask.

"No, Beauxbatons is an all-girl school. Tonight is the first time that I've ever danced with a boy that wasn't my father," she laughed.

"Really, how does it feel to dance with a boy for the first time?" asked Draco as he pulled her closer into his arms.

"I like it, it just feels right." sighed Renata as she spun around the dance floor with Draco.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" asked Draco wishing to get closer to Professor Snape's daughter and wishing to get further away from Pansy Parkinson. It wasn't that he didn't like Pansy; he just didn't really want to be with her for the rest of his life.

"If my father approves, I will be your girlfriend." smiled Renata as they danced for the rest of the night.

**A/N I will try to get the next chapter up faster, but if it takes a while please bare with me as moving has me stressed to the max. Chapter Fourteen When Evil Returns will be next.**


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